January 2014 favorites.

Along with monthly empties posts, I've decided to go back to sharing my absolute favorite products for each month. These are things I've found myself reaching for repeatedly and truly enjoying! In January, I tried a lot of new things, and also opened things I've had sitting around, untried. Here are my favorites!

Malin & Goetz detox face mask: This is the coolest mask. It comes out like a typical gel/cream...but as you apply it to your face, it starts to bubble and foam. It is a weird, almost itchy, tingly sensation at first. It foams up so much it looks like you've covered your face in shaving cream! But it leaves my face feeling soft, smooth, and super fresh. I really like it, and I've been using it every Sunday!

La Roche Posay Redermic Eyes: This is a nice eye cream/treatment. I find that it really does help my eye area feel a bit firmer and more perky, and my dark circles are less pronounced. It is a nice kind of thin consistency, which I prefer when it comes to my eyes - it takes less tugging to rub it in than it does some thicker creams! I've been using this morning and night, and will continue to do so.

eyeko Black Magic Mascara: This is a really good mascara. I love that the wand is a bit angled, it makes it easy to really open up the outer corners of my eyes. It gives good length and thickness, and it doesn't smudge or flake on me. I also like that it comes in this kind of tube, rather than the typical rigid one. I feel like this will enable me to get every last bit of product out! If I ever use up my mascara stash, this is one I would likely repurchase.

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Audacious: This is such a pretty bright orange!  I love this shade because it is so outside of my usual range. I'm pale and cool toned, but I wear this anyway, because WHY NOT? The matte finish is pretty, and it does not feel as drying as some mattes do. I want to collect all of these!

BUTTER London Horsepower Nail Fertilizer: My nails are so thin and peely. I've been trying to baby them, and this is really helping! They feel a bit stronger, and I intend to use it for a week each month to see how the long term effects are!

stila Barbie palette: This is a cool little palette...four little shadow trios that can be mixed and matched. I love the color variety, and as usual, stila shadows are great quality. I love how soft and blendable they are!

LUSH Santa's Lip Scrub: I usually make my own lip scrub out of honey and sugar, and it works great...but I was curious about this one, so I bought it. I love it! It has a cherry cola flavor to it, and it leaves the slightest red stain on your lips. It has a slightly more moist consistency than the Popcorn scrub does.  I'll still use my homemade stuff most of the time, but if this is available again next year, I might order another! I do also like the Popcorn scrub, but I find mine more moisturizing.

Lancome Le Stylo in Turquoise: This is the prettiest  teal liner...it is nice and soft and it does not smudge once it sets. I've been using it more often than even my liquid liners this month.

Susan Posnick Coloreyedefine in Sapphire and Amethyst: This is a double ended stick with a purple shadow on one side and a dark blue pencil on the other. The colors are pretty. The shadow is too small to use as shadow, for me, but I love the sponge applicator for defining the crease. 

From top to bottom: Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Audacious, Posnick shadow in Amethyst, Posnick liner in Sapphire, Lancome Le Stylo in Turquoise.

See how pretty the shades are in the stila palette?? 

What are your favorites so far this year?

New year, new goals!

I can't believe it's 2014 already. I keep writing the wrong date on things. I can't say I'm sad to see 2013 go, as I had my fair share of misfortune and mishaps all year. Here's to hoping for a better year!

I have a few resolutions/goals for the year.

First of all, I am beginning a mega weight loss mission. I'm not imposing any grand workout goals or diet restrictions, as I want this to be something I can stick with. Instead, I'm just focusing on calories in vs. calories burned, and most importantly, keeping track of everything I eat. It's so eye opening when you see how every little thing you snack on adds up!

To go along with my weight loss goal is a no-buy. With the exception of my subs, I am not allowing myself to buy any beauty products. Instead, I am going to allow myself beauty purchases when I meet weight loss benchmarks. I haven't decided exactly what they will be, but for now I have set my first "reward" at 10 pounds.

Another goal is to use up things in my stash! I am terrible about getting something new and NEEDING to try it right away...and the number of open products I have just grows and grows, and since I'm using so many at once, it takes forever to use anything up. My goal for 2014 is to use up my open cleansers, moisturizers, serums, creams, and scrubs before I open anything new. Once that is done, I will have only one item of each type/need open at a time! This also applies to hair care products and certain types of makeup! I want to use up some of my partially used bb creams, foundations, and mascaras before trying anything new, as well.

To go with this, I intend to start monthly "empties" posts, where I share the items I've finished and my thoughts on them, as well as going back to monthly favorites posts, which I deserted a while back. I really love reading those kinds of posts and I want to go back to making them!


So, hopefully there is a lot of change on the horizon, here! What about you? Do you have any beauty resolutions or goals for the year? What kind of posts do you like to read?

Happy 2014!

January 2013 Favorites

Man, January went by quickly. Now, I just hope the rest of the horrid winter follows suit...ugh. This month, I continued my goal of using lots of products instead of letting them pile up untouched. However, there are a few things I kept coming back to! Here are the things I was really loving in January.

Pixi Magic Tink Tint - This is a great product. It goes on very sheer, but adjusts itself to a custom shade determined by your skin's PH! On me, it turns into a pretty magenta. It's a little bit glossy and super moisturizing...my favorite product like this I've tried! Makes a great daily lip tint, super easy to wear.

Too Faced sparkle liquid liner - This is kind of sheer, with black and silver glitters. I like to paint it over regular liquid liner to add a little sparkle. On its own, it doesn't provide enough definition for me, but I love it for layering!

Sprout makeup remover - Odd inclusion, I know. But this is a blend of olive, sweet almond, and jojoba oils and nothing more. It removes my makeup easily, and my favorite part is that you can just massage what's left after removing into your skin for extra moisturization. Love.

theBalm Tall, Dark, and Handsome mascara - This has become my HG mascara...it's lengthening and gives some volume without being too dramatic for daily use. 

Color Tattoo in Too Cool - I use this almost every day as an eyeshadow base. With it, my colors are brighter and even cheapo shadows last all day. It's also nice for an inner corner highlight, has a bit of shimmer to it and goes on sheer.

Starlooks mascara guard - This weird gadget is awesome...I use it when applying my mascara and I never smudge mascara on my eyeshadow!  Nothing more frustrating than having your shadow perfectly applied and blended, and then smearing mascara on it and ruining everything. It's something I never would have thought to buy, but have found endlessly useful.

Cargo eyeshadow quad in Barcelona - I have five quads from Cargo, and I love all of them...but I am loving this one the most, lately! Cargo shadows are really nice - pigmented and easy to work with. The packaging is pretty and sturdy and the shadows themselves are huge! This one is purples, blue, and green - my most loved and used colors. These shadows last all day on me, no problem. 

Pretty, right?! 

That's it for my January favorites. What products have you been loving this winter?

Favorites of 2012!

This year, I discovered a lot of great things! Rather than my usual end of month favorites list, I decided to do this tag that I saw via BohoVanity. Feel free to let me know your favorites in the comments, or post this yourself and leave the link for me to check out!

Beauty

Favorite... 

Face product?

I just started using foundations and the like again this year after several years without. I tried quite a few I liked, but my favorite, hands down, is Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream. It is just the right amount of coverage for me, and I love the soft look and texture it gives my skin. My other products just sit unused, now!

Cheek product?

I have several blushes I've been loving this year, but the one I reach for the most is my Cargo ColorStick in Maui. It's the perfect neutral rosy shade...the cream to powder formulation is amazing and it's so velvety and easy to blend. It works with both warm toned and cool toned looks.

Eye product?

This is a hard one for me, as I am a sucker for eye makeup above all else! So, I'm choosing a product and a brand. My favorite single product of the year is theBalm's Body Builder mascara...this has become my holy grail mascara. It provides great volume and amazing length, dramatic without being over the top. I adore it.

And my favorite brand this year is Glamour Doll Eyes. Absolutely gorgeous loose pigment eyeshadows at a great price...pigmentation and texture are both always amazing. It's a small indie company, which is an added bonus. I can't wait to use up the shadow stash I have so I can buy more.

Lip product?

I rarely care for lipstick, but I fell in love with the Kryolan lipstick made for Glossybox...it is the perfect pink for me and I love the formula. It stands out above all other lip products I have used this year.

Skincare product?

Shea Terra Organics Rose Hips Black Soap is a skin savior and by far the best cleanser I've ever used. It has changed my skin for the better and I hope to never be without it! The company in general is amazing and makes wonderful products.

Nail polish?

Not a huge polish fan, but I am in love with Zoya Storm...a gorgeous black with lots of silver holo glitter. The formula on every Zoya product I've tried is amazing and it's the only polish I get excited about.

Hair product?

I don't get as excited about hair products, but I tried and loved Orofluido elixer! Leaves my hair silky smooth and shiny. The best hair oil I've ever used.

Body product/perfume?

I discovered my all time favorite fragrance this year - Pure Vanilla by Lavanila. SO GOOD. It's a grown up vanilla that doesn't smell like baked goods, but has a bit of depth to it. Delicious.

Fashion

Favorite...

Clothing piece?

I'm not gonna lie, I spend at least 40-50 hours of my week in scrubs, and most of the rest of the time in pajamas. I truly do not have a favorite clothing piece this year...hopefully that will change this next year!

Accessory?

I am in love with the Big Buddha pleated hobo I got from Little Black Bag. I change my bags up about twice a week, but I go back to it the most often. It's the cutest green color with a great lining.

Shoes?

Again, I mostly wear my work shoes, so my favorite shoes of the year are the goofy looking blue and grey Reebok ZigTechs I wear to work, and my silver leopard Allegria maryjanes!

Random

Favorite...

TV Show/movie?

I am a little obsessed with American Horror Story, by far my favorite new show.

Book?

Sadly, not much reading this year...but I did enjoy how terribly written the 50 Shades series was!

Beverage?

Tea. Iced, hot, flavored, green, black, white...I live on it.

Song?

I listen to more music than most, but there is not a notable song in particular that I find stands out this year, most that I listen to is not really well known. My favorite radio hit was probably Hey Ho by the Lumineers.

So, what did you love this year?

November Favorites!

I got so distracted by my Little Black Bag that I forgot to post my favorite products for November! So, here they are.

Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist in Sweet on Paris. I spent September and October dousing myself in fall scents (which I love) but this month, I've wanted a little change. This one smells so good, like a lemon and raspberry pastry!

Smashbox Mega Gloss in Celebrity. I LOVE THIS LIPGLOSS. It's a perfect rosy pink shade - it ends up being very MLBB (my lips but better) on me, and adds just a bit of color. It's glossy and creamy, not at all tacky.

The applicator is HUGE! I love this - it makes applying quick and easy.

NYX Ultra Pearl loose pigment in Rust. I love eyeshadow, but my standbys are bright colors. This month, I rediscovered this one in my collection and I've been loving it! So different for me. It's called Rust, but to me it looks more like a shiny copper penny when worn! I love the pigmentation and consistency.

Kryolan Blusher in Glossy Rosewood. This blush was specially made for Glossybox by Kryolan...I love it! It's a perfect pink shade for me, not too dark, and nice and smooth and so blendable. I've been wearing it daily. Lighting sucks so you can't really see the color, but it's a nice pink.

OPI nail lacquer in Love is a Racket. I'm not normally big on red nails, but this one is gorgeous. It's a perfect sparkly red, super festive and reminds me of Christmas.

and finally, Re-Everything Eye Serum by VMV Hypoallergenics. This eye serum is my favorite one I've tried. It really does help with dark circles and puffiness and it feels nice and light going on. I'm sad that I'm almost out of it, but it has lasted me months!

So, that's it - those are the things I've been reaching for continually in November. Have you tried any of these things? What has been helping you ease into winter?

October favorites

So, yeah...I'm a couple of days late with this, and as I post it, I realize that I forgot a product, and probably my #1 product this month (so I added it on, but it's not in the group shot). Apparently, I'm full of failure this month! Oh well. Here are the products I was reaching for on the regular in October!

I'm really loving one of Bath & Body Works' new scents, Cashmere Glow. It's described as "golden peach and shimmering vanilla wrapped in soft cashmere musk". To me, it is just a warm, cuddly scent with a bit of sweetness. I'll probably wear it all winter.

I had never heard of Starlooks before a friend was kind enough to gift this palette to me. I fell in love with it and have decided to subscribe to their Starbox subscription program! This is the Monographic 5 shade pallette, I LOVE THESE. Each has a white base with different opalescent shades: Gold, Opal, Pink, Purple, and Mint. They are designed to be worn alone, as a highlighter, or over other shades to transform them. They're beautiful and soft and I adore them.

The trick stick highlighter by Vapour Organic has become a daily staple for me...I love its subtle glowy shimmer, and it's really easy to use. It has a fairly dry consistency which keeps it subtle without being hard. I've been using it on my browbones and cheekbones nearly every day.

This L'oreal Double Extend mascara has really impressed me for a drugstore brand! It's double ended, a 2 step product. The gold side contains a primer and serum to be applied before the mascara. Together, they provide length and fullness while staying soft. I've been reaching for this more often than any of my other mascaras.

I like hair oils in general, but this Pequi Oil Treatment by Couture Colour is just awesome. It smells a bit coconutty, and it's super light. My hair is shiny and manageable when I use it.

I am not a lipstick person by any means, and I have never had a lipstick I actually really liked before this one! It's the Kryolan lipstick in Glossy Pink made just for Glossybox. It doubles as a stain. It's a nice pink color that looks natural on me, and it lasts for a long time. Love it! I wish it was available for purchase.

So, here they are: the things I have been loving lately. Have you tried any of these products?

September favorites!

This was a good month for favorites - I tried several new things that I quickly fell in love with. There will be actual reviews of several of them up in the near future, but in the meantime, here are the beauty items I was loving for September!

Marbella was kind enough to send me this Permanent Lipliner Pen in spice to try. I'm not really a lip liner person, so I didn't expect much...but I was really impressed! This is truly a lip stain...and an awesome one. I rub my lips together and lick them a lot, so nothing lasts on me - NOTHING. I line and fill in my lips with this pen, and it lasts all day long. Well beyond my 8 hour shift. I love it under a clear gloss or balm. I plan to pick up a few more of these in different colors!

My hands and feet get so dry, especially in the winter. This Intensive Treatment and Moisturizer by Kiehl's is awesome and rich and keeps them soft and smooth. I received this as a reward for a product study from L'Oreal, and I've become obsessed with it. I have only used a few Kiehl's product, but each one I use makes me want to try more.

I have used several BB creams and in general, I love them. I find that the texture and finish suit me better than foundation, and I love having everything in one product...too many layers feel heavy to me. Of all of the BB creams I have tried, I love m perfect cover by Missha the best! The coverage is amazing, it covers any blemishes and the dark circles under my eyes with no problem. It's not dewy nor dry, and I've received numerous comments on how soft and pretty my skin looks while wearing it. I also like the powdery scent and the SPF 42. I had been trying a new BB cream every time I ran out and enjoying it, but this one is likely to become my go-to.

I picked these up on a whim to use up the last of my Birchbox points, and I really love them! They are basically qtips filled with makeup remover that is dispensed when you snap the tip.They're great for correcting makeup mistakes and they take off liquid liner with no problem. Love to keep these in my bag, super handy.

This is the first two step mascara I've ever tried, and I've fallen in love with it! One end is a lash conditioner/primer infused with serum. It's white and not as goopy as I feared. It really does seem to soften my lashes! The mascara itself is really nice...it has a great brush, it separates, defines, and thickens as well as lengthens. I love that it leaves my lashes soft and it can be natural or dramatic. This is the best drugstore mascara I've tried.

I got this Glazed Lips by Ellis Faas in last month's Glossybox. I wasn't too sure about the color - Sheer Rusty Orange, but I ended up being super impressed with it. I love the finish - it's glossy, but in a different way. It makes your lips look more wet than goopy...in a good way! I love the feel and the buildable color. Never would have dreamed I'd be able to wear an orange.

I have a couple of the Color Tattoos by Maybelline, and they really are impressively longlasting. I just never end up actually wearing cream shadows like I think I would. I have found, though, that this makes an excellent eyeshadow base! It helps the colors pop and it lasts all day long. Love it.

And, my individual picture of the last item seems to have disappeared, but it's the loose pearl pigment by NYX...super cheap and good quality. I love the rust .color I have for fall, and I want to get some more of them.

What have you been loving this month?

July/August Favorites

I didn't post any favorites last month because frankly, I was in a sampling frenzy, trying to use up some of my sample stash...but there are a few things I've consistently been reaching for over these last two months!

myGlam has been sending out these polishes from the Circus by Andrea's Choice line, and I'm in love with them! They are truly neon and I personally love the formula. After trading, I have the shades Ringleader (pink) and Spectacle (orange) and they are insane and beautiful.

And this Cargo colorstick in Maui is a perfect texture and a nice strawberry pink color for everyday. The formula is great, not at all greasy and soft, dries almost to a velvety powder. 

I ordered a bunch of these sample jars of Glamour Doll Eyes shadows and I love them as much as I loved those I've tried in the past! There's not a bad one in the bunch, but if I had to pick the two I've been reaching for the most, it'd be these two: Phyrra (hot pink with aqua sparkles) and Jailbreak (metallic sparkly silver). The formula is great, the colors are beautiful, and I love the sample sized jars - I've never used all of a full sized shadow. I love change and these are a great size for me, generous enough for plenty of uses.

eyeko Skinny Liner in turquoise is super pretty and lasts forever, I love that it goes on with a marker tip.

And Diorshow Exstase mascara has become a new favorite...it's super lengthening and volumizing enough, and it never flakes. I've been reaching for this sample every day!

I change my fragrance all the time, and right now I'm loving Lavanila Coconut Vanilla...it's nice and warm and smells nothing like most coconut scents. I love these rollerballs, they're perfect to keep in my purse.

Shea Terra shea body whipper in Gingered Pumpkin...YUM. I am in full on fall mode, and this is perfect. It smells just like a sweet pumpkin pie, and it's perfectly hydrating. I like to use it on my elbows, feet, and as an handcream. Every scent by Shea Terra is beautiful and natural, but this is the perfect fall scent for me.

And finally, Naturelle 100% Argan oil. I'd been using some argan products in my hair for a while, but I finally got brave enough to try the pure oil on my face. It's not heavy at all and is making my skin look and feel great. Should have tried it sooner!

So, that's what I'm loving right now. What are your current favorite products? Have you tried any of these things?