Best of Beauty 2014

I did this last year from a YouTube tag. I like the categories so I decided to do it again for 2014. When I first started putting this together, I started "cheating" and giving the category to a brand instead of a product. So I went back and really thought about what I really enjoyed during the year. Some categories I do have more than one item *shrugs*. The lip product categories....oye vey! So let's get to it!

Drum roll please......here are my favorites from 2014!

Primer - Rimmel Stay Matte Primer

This is an excellent primer. I still love the Black Radiance primer but I reached for this more so once I got my hands on it. I also love that I can wear it on it's own with Mally's Poreless Face Defender and my skin looks amazeballs and it helps control my oil. I did this on travel days when I didn't want to put on makeup but wanted my skin to look decent.

Foundation - Bare Minerals Blemish Ready Acne Clearing Foundation

This is one of the categories that I was going to give it to Bare Minerals overall. I still love the matte foundation and the original foundation when I reached for it. But I'm going to say that my foundation favorite for 2014 year was their Blemish Ready foundation. I know I just mentioned this in my December favorites. This foundation I really have enjoyed using. I've used it on my face when breakouts weren't an issue and when they were an issue. Just like with other Bare Minerals foundations, I love the buildable coverage. This foundation was great  for me in 2014 and hopefully will still be a good fit for me in 2015.

Concealer - Bare Minerals Stroke of Light

This shouldn't be a shocker since this have been a repeat favorite. I do have some other concealers but I go back to Stroke of Light every single time. I use it under my eyes and it's great. I don't use a concealer on my face since whatever foundation I use covers what I need for it to cover. This covers what I need for it to cover and brightens my under eye area. It's doesn't look crazy or too much. I see some under eye brightening and highlighting and I'm like o_O. If you want something suitable for everyday then I highly recommend this product.

Powder - Bare Minerals 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Mineral Veil

I was going to give this to Bare Minerals again. But I gave it some thought and decided that the BB Mineral Veil was my favorite powder for 2014. I got in a Today's Special Value set in March. Every time I used it, I was like whoa. It made skin look really good! Also it has a slight tint to it, so it isn't a stark white powder. I'm hoping that they eventually sell it outside of the kit. But I'm sure you can probably find someone selling it on eBay.

Bronzer - Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Deep Chocolate

No surprises here. This bronzer is everything. It's matte. It does run red like some deeper bronzers tend to and it's not muddy looking. I still search online from time to time to see if I can find someone selling it. No such luck. As you can see the pan is larger. We'll see if I can use this up in 2015.

Blush - Bare Minerals Swoon

Now this one gave me some trouble. I used a bunch of blushes over 2014 but nothing really popped out at me when I was putting this post together.  So I went back to my favorites posts and saw that I had mentioned Swoon twice in January and September. So I pulled it out again in December to see if I was still really hype over it and I was. This just an easy blush to wear. It's a pinky coral color that is buildable and can go with just about any look.

Highlighter - Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal 

I kept meaning to mention this in a favorites post but would always forget until after I was done with a post *head palm*. Anywho... I got a sample size of Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal. The only other liquid highlighter that I have is from Maybelline and it's another favorite. Becca's blows Maybelline away! This is so easy to apply and blends into the skin effortlessly. This is a grown up highlighter that's not glittery. It gives you this lit from within glow that is just beautiful. If you can get a sample of this from Sephora or Ulta then do! My coworker got me the mini set of 3 liquid highlighters for Christmas. So I have more Opral waiting for me. I've also swatched several of their powder ones in Sephora and they are just as gorgeous. They may find a home in my makeup collection.

Brows - Milani Brow Shaping Clear Gel

I never really bought into the hype of a brow gel. Most of the ones I saw were mid-range/high end ones and I didn't think it was worth it to shell out the money,. I had always used Maybelline's clear mascara on my brows. When I Milani released theirs, I said why not since it's inexpensive. I ended up liking this more than Maybelline's clear mascara. I like the brush. It's small and you can shape your brows with it. I also like the gel formula. It keeps my brows in place all day. I used it with my Iman Brow Pencil which is still a favorite.

Eyeshadow Palette - Tarte Exotic Eyes 5-in-1 Shadow Palette

This was a tough one. I was going to give this to Tarte overall since I enjoyed a lot of their palettes in 2014. But then I thought about it some more and decided that the Exotic Eyes palette is my favorite for 2014. I have reached for this so many times since purchasing. I have used it on it's own and paired with other palettes. The copper shadow is my favorite warm brown shadow and the dark brown shadow is fantastic. Also the highlight shade is matte and not stark white that I can't use it on my deeper skin tone. It only has five shades but this palette is very versatile. For me its more handy than than both of the Naked Basics palettes from Urban Decay.

Eyeliner - Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Dark Chocolate Ink

This has stayed in my makeup bag since I purchased it. I've mentioned before that I prefer a dark brown liner to black and you already know I loves me some Bobbi Brown gel liner. Just like with her other gel liners, the formula is smooth and easy to apply. It lasts all day.

Mascara - tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes

My mascara favorite for 2014 goes to tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes. I hadn't used it in a while, so I forgot how much I enjoy this mascara. It's a great mascara. The formula is not too wet or dry. It gives me volume and length. I also like that my lashes don't get hard and crunchy. I have two more tubes coming in an auto delivery shipment from their November Today's Special Value. So I'm good on mascara for a while.

Lip Pencil - NYX lip liner in Espresso

This one still goes to NYX lip liner in Espresso. It's the only liner I use anytime I apply a lipstick or gloss no matter the color.

Lipstick - MAC Del Rio, Viva Glam III and Pure Heroine

I narrowed it down to these 3 MAC lipsticks but I couldn't pick just one. Lip products are my jam. So I decided to go with all 3. All 3 got some serious use from me in 2014. I picked up Del Rio and Viva Glam III from my first trip to the CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlet). Both of these went with me while I traveled over the summer. I know for most these are probably fall shades. But for me they are go everyday, all occasions shades for my skin tone. Pure Heroine launched over the summer. I remember people griping about the release since it's more of a fall shade. You best believe I slapped this joker on a soon as I got it! Summer be damned! I don't think it was too much to wear over the summer. When I ordered it, I automatically got 2 since I knew I was going to really like it. Over the cooler months, it has been a go to lipstick for me. I gripe about MAC but they do make some good lipsticks.

Lipgloss - Bare Minerals Moxie Lipgloss in Glamourista and Rebel, MAC Playful Petal &NYX Butter Glosses

I got Glamourista  in a auto delivery shipment from QVC. When I got it, I was like ok another pink gloss. It's pretty in the tube and wasn't expecting much. Once I put it on I was like aaaaaahhhhhhhh *sing song voice*. I'm always leery when it comes to pink lip products. This one it the perfect pink for my skin tone and it goes with almost any look. It's described as a candied pink. I had to make myself put it away several times since I wasn't reaching for any other lip products. When the warmer weather rolls back around, Glamourista and I will be reacquainted lol. Rebel I got as a 100 point perk from Sephora. It's described as pink mauve . It's just about spot on for my natural lip color. On the days that I don't wear any makeup, this is one of the glosses I reach for to throw on. I keep this in my makeup bag in my purse. I'm itching to get a full size but I'm going to be good and use this one up first. Bare Minerals Moxie is one of my absolute favorites for lipglosses. I finally tried the NYX Butter Glosses in 2014. As you can see I liked them so much I ended up purchasing 6 last year. I have Praline, Ginger Snap, Angel Food Cake, Raspberry Tart, Red Velvet, Devil's Food Cake. They are pigmented, apply smoothly, feel nice on the lips and they're not drying. I think I'm good on colors. Famous last words lol. The last gloss that popped in to my head was MAC's Playful Petal Cremesheen Glass from MAC's A Fantasy of Flowers collection. I saw it in one of crystalis007's videos along with the coordinating lipstick and I was like oh. So I picked up both. I enjoyed the lipstick but the gloss was the product that stuck out to me. It'a described as electric magenta. I was really tempted to get a back up but I was good. MAC re-releases stuff all the time. So if this happens to come back then maybe I'll get another one. I guess pink lip glosses were my thing is 2014 which is interesting.

Beauty Subscription

I did two in 2014. I ended up cancelling Ipsy and Fab Polish was cancelled for me. *shrugs*. I don't plan on participating in any beauty subscription services during 2015. We'll see if that holds.

Skincare - L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum and Day/Night Cream

This is another one that shouldn't be a surprise. I've gushed about these two products so much that I'll keep it brief here. The serum and day/night cream have been favorites since I purchased them back in June and have been repurchased several times over. They have also seriously helped keep my skin smooth and even. These two products are some of the best skin care products that I've ever used. They will stay in my skin arsenal as long as they keep working for me.

Nail Polish - Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue

I was going to mention an OPI polish but was like noooooo this one goes to Sally Hansen's Pacific Blue! I posted back in August about my rant and mission to get a back up of this polish. I ended up purchasing the 3 I found a CVS and giving one to a coworker. So I now have 2 unopened bottles. I have worn this polish multiple times throughout the year. I'm still bummed that Sally Hansen changed their formula and changed this one completely.

And there you have it. Let's see what 2015 brings!

December 2014 Favorites

Here's what I've been loving for the month of December!

Eyes

I had a feeling that the Stila In the Moment palette would be a favorite when I picked it up. If I had gotten it earlier in the year, it may have been my favorite palette of 2014. But I haven't played around with it long enough to give it that title. This is an awesome neutral palette and it's a complete palette! I didn't have to add any other shadows to complete a look. It has a dark brown shadow which I love and it also has a black shadow which isn't a "scary" black shadow. Meaning that it's pigmented but not hard to blend. The shadows go nicely, easy to blend and have very nice staying power. This just might be my work travel palette for next year. It's easy to pack and easy to use. Not once when I used this I had to stare at and try to figure out a look. My "beauty mind" was like ok, these are the shadows we're using today and go! This was an awesome deal at $20. If you can get your hands on it  at the sale price, I say grab it.

Lips

I ordered the philosophy fresh cream ultimate 5 pc collection w/gift bag from QVC on auto delivery and I'm so glad I did. Fresh Cream has become my new favorite scent from philosophy. I also love that everything in this set is regular sized! I usually jump on the super sized bandwagon for philosophy products. But I've said that I'm done with super sized. The product I have been loving most from this is the lip shine. The Fresh Cream scent translates differently from product to product. The lip shine smells so freaking good! The product itself is not super sticky and is moisturizing on the lips. It's the product I have been reaching for at night to put on my lips. When I wake up in the morning, my lips feel soft and hydrated.

I picked up some of the new Maybelline Creamy Matte lipsticks online from Ulta when they had a 40% off promo along with buy one, get one 50% off. I think it was the Saturday after Thanksgving. An amazing deal right? One of the colors I didn't get due to it being out of stock was Siren in Scarlet. Ulta needs to do better with that but at least they didn't cancel my entire order. I heard that they did that during Black Friday. I got 5 colors and the one I have reached for the most is Divine Wine. No surprises there right? I love my berry shades. I also enjoyed wearing Lust for Blush and Mesmerizing Magenta. For a matte lipstick these are creamy and goes on very very smoothly. The pigmentation is great and the staying power on these is AWESOME! Yes I'm shouting lol. If you are looking for a good matte lipstick check these out. I'm definitely getting the red.

Face

I had some breakout issues this month. So I pulled out the Bare Minerals Blemish Ready foundation again to see how it would work. I do feel that it did help heal the breakouts on my face. It does contain my favorite acne fighting ingredient Salicylic Acid. When I first got this foundation and was using it, I didn't really have any breakouts going on to test their acne fighting claims. I'm happy to say that it worked for me. So this is a definite keeper in my beauty arsenal.

I thought I have mentioned Bobbi Brown's Highlight Powder in Bronze Glow. This was part of her holiday collection and it is pure awesomeness! I have raved about her shimmer bricks before and how easily they are to apply and how they wear nicely on the skin. This one is no different. It gives you this pretty glow that is not glittery. Trying to decide if this or Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector will be my favorite highlight product for 2014. That post is coming, so stay tuned for that.

Body

I made a Bath & Body Works run when I had a 20% off coupon and they had several promos going on. I picked up two of the Vanilla Bean Noel Body Creams. I have also shopped the Semi Annual Sale twice and got another tube *head palm*. Somehow I missed out on picking this scent up last year. If you are a vanilla lover then you have to check this out. I have always loved Bath & Body Works' Body Creams. They recently revamped the formula and it's even better. This is true vanilla scent. It's not overly sweet or fake smelling like some vanilla scents can be. The key note are: Fresh Vanilla Bean, Warm Caramel, Sugar Cookies, Whipped Cream and Snow-kissed Musk. Almost sounds like a dessert, minus the musk.

Korres released a new scent in their shower gels and body butters. The new scent Cinnamon Vanilla is EVERYTHING! OMG! It is so good! This is my new favorite Korres scent! It's a good mix of sweet and spicy. It's not too spicy that you couldn't use this all year. Well at least I would but everyone's nose is different. It'll mix well with other vanilla scented fragrances. I rarely write product reviews online but I had to share my thoughts on HSN's site. I picked up the duo which is a super awesome value. When I ordered, free shipping was available

Random Stuff

Last year I pick up a Twisted Peppermint candle from Bath and Body Works and loved it. I ended up getting 3 this year from two different trips. I gifted one and the other 2 are for me lol. I just love the scent. The peppermint is not overwhelming and it has a creamy side to it as well. It is described as "merry and bright peppermint celebrates the season with vanilla and sugary musk."

If you are an Amazon Prime member, then you HAVE to download the Amazon Music app to your smartphone, tablet, laptop or whateva so you can stream music for free. You can add various songs and albums to your library for free (as long as you maintain your Prime membership). I have had fun searching through the music and adding stuff to my library. I have the app on my phone. I'll plug in my headphones and just zone out. They also have various playlists as well. It's awesome.

Another app that has consumed a lot of my time is Candy Crush Soda! I've played Candy Crush Saga and got hooked on it but then I kind of fell off with it. When I saw that a new version was coming out, I said I would NOT download it. Well yea that didn't last long lol!!!!

Surprise Products of the Month

I ended up returning the Buxom Dolly's High Roller palette I picked up during the VIB sale and exchanged it for the Urban Decay On The Run palette. From the reviews I've read, it seems like people aren't happy with the packaging. I guess they were expecting something more "compact" for travel. I would totally travel with this. It is pretty much your full face. I love that the eyeshadows are all new shades. They are true to the quality of other Urban Decay shadows. They are pigmented and easy to apply. My favorite is Dare (second from the right). It reminds me of Buck from the original Naked palette but a tad deeper. Also I have never tried any of Urban Decay's Naked lip glosses until I picked up this palette. The gloss in the palette is called Sesso. It's described as a rose pink shimmer. It is very pretty and feels so good on the lips. I am overall pleased with this palette. Check it out if you can.

Nothing to report on nail favorites and no meh products either.

And there you have it! Woohoo! Not a lot of stuff but I really enjoyed using these products for the month on December.

Thank you SO much for taking the time to read my ramblings, commenting and sharing my posts. I hope that everyone had a Merry Merry Christmas or whatever it is you celebrate during the holiday season. If you are going out tonight for New Year's, please be safe. "See" you all in January for more favorites shenanigans!

Out of My Face - 2014 Edition (Recap)

This is my 200th post! Woot!!

In February, I posted a laundry list of products that I want to use up by the end of the year.

Was I successful?

Here is what I actually used up:

• Bare Minerals Original Foundation in Golden Deep
• Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray
• Philosophy Unconditional Love Shower Gel
• Korres Bergamot Pear Shower Gel and Body Butter 
• Mally Face Defender
• Kate Somerville ExfoliKate
• Out the Door Top Coat

This item was "indirectly" on my list but I didn't post about it lol. Weird I know. I used up:

• Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in Warm Deep - Good thing since I determined that this is not my shade even though I got "matched" in it. Hmph! I noticed that it turned red on me. I was like what the what??! So I'm sticking with Golden Deep. I can pretty much wear it all year.

Some items I just got fed trying to use up or they went bad, so the following go tossed:

• Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss - I just couldn't finish it, It was starting to get gunky and I don't like potted lip products.  
• Mally Glosses - As I was wearing these, I noticed that as the day progressed the worse of my lips would get. These were the cause. I had some newer Mally glosses and I wore those without any issues. Also these 3 didn't smell as sweet as the newer ones. They weren't rancid but you could definitely tell that the product started to turn. Glosses in general don't have a long shelf life but these definitely don't last long. So I don't plan on buying any more of these anytime soon.
• MAC Lipstick in Call My Bluff - MAC lipsticks and glosses have a vanilla scent to them. Well the scent was gone and it didn't smell all that great. So I pitched it. I have another one that I got from a blog sale. 
• MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass - Another lippie I just couldn't finish. It was still ok but it was time to toss it. I'm not a fan of MAC Lipglasses and haven't not repurchased any in a good while. I think I only have 2 left in my stash but only because I really like the colors.
• Bath and Body Works Creamy Coconut Body Splash - I tried to use this up but I just wasn't reaching for it. Also when I sprayed it, it smelled more of alcohol than the Creamy Coconut scent.
• Buxom Dolly - I ended getting this again in a set I had purchased from Sephora. So I tossed the one I had since it was time and I had used most of it. But since I returned the set, I don't have it anymore. I may repurchase it at some point since I don't have any other mauvey lipglosses and it is a long time favorite.

And I didn't use up the following:

• MAC Lipstick in Heroine
• Urban Decay Perversion Eyeliner & Mally Evercolor Eyeliner in Onyx. I ended up giving the Mally liner away when I was purging items from my stash. Perversion is my favorite black pencil liner. So there was not need to keep the Mally one.
• Bare Minerals 100% Natural Lipgloss in Glazed Donut
• Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

There you have it. I will continue to use the items that I didn't use up. Not a bad effort.

November 2014 Favorites

Happy November! Excuse my non-painted nails in some of the pics. Here's what I've been loving and not liking for the month.

Eyes

I typically don't use traditional foundation (paddle) brushes when doing my makeup. I have 3 of them. But recently I pulled out my Real Techniques Essential Foundation brush to use to blend Bare Minerals Stroke of Light under my eye and I LOVE IT!  To me it mimics the patting motion that I do with my fingers. I also pulled out my Eco Tools Foundation brush to do the same thing and have been loving it too. So score for putting brushes I typically don't use to use.

I haven't used the Bare Minerals Ready 2.0 The Enlightenment in a while. This month I reached for it more to blend out my eye looks and highlight under my brow.

Lips

My berry toned lip favorite for the month has been Lancome's L'Absolu-Rouge lipstick in Berry Noir. I loved how this felt on my lips. If felt more like a lip balm than a traditional lipstick, it wears nicely throughout the day and the color is gorgeous.

I'm back on EOS lip balms. I haven't had any in a while until a friend of mine gave me Strawberry Sorbet. Then I picked up the newer ones in Coconut Milk (pink stripe) and Vanilla Mint (blue stripe) from Ulta when they were buy one, get one half off. I currently have Strawberry Sorbet and Vanilla Mint open. They are good to prep your lips before putting on lip products or if just don't want anything heavy on your lips.

I picked up the Studio 35 Beauty Cocoa Butter Lip Balm from Walgreens randomly one day. I have really been enjoying it. It's another lip balm that doesn't feel heavy on your lips but it is really moisturizing.

My nude lip favorite for the month has been Revlon's Mink lipstick. This is great nude lipstick. It goes with anything. It's not "too" nude and you don't have to baby it.

Buxom's Full-On Lipstick in Barcelona came in Buxom's Red Hot Set that I got from Sephora during the VIB Sale. I have not tried these lipsticks from Buxom before getting this one. So I was excited to give one a go. I love the way that this lip product is shaped. It's not as fat as a traditional chubby lip pencils. So you can be really precise with the application. I also love the color. It is described as scarlet apple but to me it's a brick red. It wears nicely throughout the day and doesn't dry out your lips.

Face

The blush that I could not get enough of this month is MAC's Fever blush. It's described as an intense reddish-burgundy shade and it's a permanent blush. It's great to pair with berry and red lip colors.

The Sigma Small Contour F05 brush is a brush that I have two of but hadn't been reaching for it to use for contouring and applying bronzer on my face. I added back into my rotation this month and have really been enjoying it. I have also used it for blush and applying my Bare Minerals foundation. It's a good multipurpose face brush.

My favorite brush to apply blush with is an angled blush brush. The e.l.f Studio Angled Blush Brush is awesome. It's super soft and makes blush application easy. You also cannot beat the price of $3! I plan to get another one.

I picked up the Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30 from Ulta a while ago. I haven't been wowed by it and hadn't planned on repurchasing it one I use it up. Was talking to a friend of mine who uses Bare Minerals foundation and I asked her what primer she uses with it. She was like most of the time she doesn't use one. I was like say what now? She was like their foundation is touted as a skin care foundation and she gets better results with it and less oil production without a primer. In my mind I was like shut the front door and got the thinking. The Cetaphil lotion is touted as an oil control one which I didn't really see using it as part of my normal face/makeup routine. So I was like let's try it like a primer. So this is my last step in my skin care routine. I let it sit of my face while I get dressed and do my hair and then I proceed to do my makeup. I have been LOVING it this way. Who knew! I have also tried this with the L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Day/Night Cream as well which also works but I like the Cetaphil lotion a tad better. It'll be interesting to see how this works for me when the warmer temperatures roll back around.

 I think I've found the missing piece to my routine with the St. Ives Even Bright Pink Lemon and Mandarin Orange Scrub. When I finished up Kate Somerville's ExfoliKate, I was on the hunt for a similar product. On Instagram, a person I follow posted her skincare routine and she had 2 scrubs by St, Ives that she uses I was going to check Ulta but I ended up in Target. I was looking at the St. Ives Scrubs along with the Target version of them. I went with the Even Bright one since I already have items in my routine to address acne and I wanted something for brightening. Also this is a moderate scrub. I don't do harsh scrubs and some of the reviews I read that people like their other scrubs but they felt harsh on the skin. The base of this one is creamy, so it easy to work on the skin. I have an updated skin care post that I had wanted to get up last months. It's coming. On the packaging it says, "polishes away little imperfections for bright, radiant skin". It also say that says visibly even toned skin and I can say that it does. After using it my skin does appear brighter. Also so post acne marks are starting to fade. So another great drugstore skin care find!

Nails

I picked up OPI 's A-Piers to be Tan from Ulta on sale. I mean seriously on sale. I got for $2 and some change. It's a pretty warm tan shade. I will be keeping this in easy reach.

Maybelline Color Show Downtown Brown is a unique nail polish. It's hard to describe what it looks like because it depends on how the light hits yours nails. It can look brown or green but it also has a hint of red in it. Some have called it the nail polish version of MAC's Club eyeshadow which a duo chrome shadow that unique as well. I went Amazon to see if I could find it. I did but haven't taken the plunge to get a back up, like I really need it.

Maybelline Color Show Avante Green and Sinful Colors Call You Later was my favorite nail look this month. This would be good to wear closer to Christmas. It's bright and festive looking.

Body

If I had to pick a favorite scent for the year, it would probably be Bath and Body Works' Amber Blush. I got this scent Memorial Day Weekend. I have used up the body cream and the shower gel is just about done. It's a bit fruity and a bit sassy at this same time. It's not too much for day and it definitely can be worn at night.

I came across the CVS Intense Relief Moisturizing Hand Cream during a CVS visit. This is the CVS version of Aveeno's Active Naturals Intense Relief Hand Cream. I'm always on the hunt for a good hand cream. I've been liking Aveeno's Positively Nourishing Whipped Souffle, so I why not give this a go. I have really been enjoying this hand cream. It sinks into the skin nicely, it doesn't make my hands feel sticky and it's soothing. I keep it on my desk at work. I would definitely repurchase this.

Random Stuff

From avenue.com

I don't like coats. The heaviest coat I want to wear is a leather jacket. I do have a peacoat that I usually wear in the winter time. I was poking around on Avenue's website and I saw that they had quite a few quilted jackets. I went into the store near me to take a look. I ended up getting the Quilted Anorak Jacket with Hood. It's not heavy but somehow it does keep me warm. For the purpose of going to and from my car during the work week, it suits my needs. I also like the hood and that it's detachable. I also like that it zips up to my neck. So if I'm not wearing a scarf, I can keep my neck warm.

Surprise Products of the Month

Thought I wasn't going to have anything here. I picked up The Maybelline Nudes palette over the summer and just going into this month for November Palette Play. I was excited about this palette because there aren't any true large palettes at the drugstore from your traditional drugstore brands like Maybelline, Covergirl, Revlon, etc. Then I was a little leery since the reviews on it have been so so but I should have know better. I've had a lot of Maybelline quads, especially the Styling Smokes ones which I loved. I got rid of them only because I had similar shades in other mid-range/high end shadows. I'm glad I picked this up. The colors are nice and great for everyday. This would also be great for travel. It can also take you from day into night. I rarely use a black eyeshadow since I'm scare it'll be too much and hard to blend. The black shadow in this palette is pigmented just enough and easy to blend. I also love how Maybelline put this palette together. You have 13 looks with this palette that they have mapped out for you on the back. There are 3 quads, 4 trios and 6 duos. So if you need some guidance, it's there. There is a Smokes palette that I have seen people get from Walgreens. I haven't found it yet. There is also supposed to be a Brights palette. I can't wait to get my hands on them.

The Buxom Pen & Ink Long-Last Eyeliner  was also included in the Buxom Red Hot Set I mentioned above. It's shaped differently from your traditional liquid liner and I LOVE IT! It makes the application so easy! And doing a cat eye is so simple. They have a dark brown that I want to check out to see how dark it is. One think that has me worried is that some of the reviews say that it dries out quickly. So I will keep an eye on it but so far it's still working for me. If it holds up, I have found my holy grail liquid liner.

Meh Products of the Month

I picked up the CVS Soothing Hand Cream. This is their version of Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Hand Cream. I've heard good reviews on the Neutrogena one but every time I'm in CVS I don't see it. So I decided to try this one. I did not like it. It's a gel consistency. It doesn't sink into the skin nicely, it's not all that moisturizing and it can make my hands feel sticky. So I won't be repurchasing this.

I ended up returning the Anastasia Beverly Hills Tamanna palette to Nordstrom. Shocker I know. Do not get me wrong, it's a beautiful palette. But when I used it, I would look at it and I had to force myself to create a look with it. So there was no point in me keeping it.

Another random lip product purchase from Walgreens was the Vaseline Lip Therapy in Creme Brulee. This was my first time trying a Vaseline Lip Therapy and I wasn't impressed. It's not all that moisturizing. You'd be better off using regular Vaseline. So in the trash it goes.

And there you have it. Not too bad this month. Tried not to "talk" too much. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

On to December!

February 2014 Favorites

I hope that everyone had a fantabulous February! Oh boy another long one here. Bare with me. Let's get to it!

Eyes

Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes is one of the two mascaras that I have been playing around with for the last couple of months. I haven't had a tube in a while but I'm glad I have it back in rotation. This is an easy mascara to work with and remove. It's buildable without clumping and your lashes feel like your lashes. Glad I have another tube on hand when this one is done from the December TSV.

The other mascara I've had in rotation is Bare Minerals Lash Domination. This is a good volumizing mascara. I also like the wand. Once I used this and Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lahses up, I am only go to have one mascara in use until it dries up or I use it up. Thankfully I don't have that many unopened mascaras. I may revisit some former drugstore favorites and see if they are still favorites. Stay tuned on that.

Sleek's Vintage Romance Palette was one of the palettes for Palette Play February. This was my first time trying one of their palettes and I really really enjoyed it. The shadows are pigmented and easy to blend. I can't believe that this is a drugstore product over in the UK. I have my eye on some of their other palettes. We shall see if they end up in my stash. Lawd knows I don't NEED them but well ya know. I ordered this palette from a seller on Amazon but you can order directly from Sleek's site and they do ship to the US.

The Black Radiance 8 Pan Palette in Posh Plums was another fav from Palette Play February. I was in the mood to play around purples and this palette was right on target. The shadows are pigmented, easy to blend and it's inexpensive since it's at the drugstore. If you are a purple eyeshadow lover but don't want to spend a lot on a purple palette, quad or single shadows, then check this one out. I kept looking at Bare Mineral Ready 4.0 The Dream Sequence which is a purple quad. It's pretty don't get me wrong. I swatched it the other day in Sephora and I was like nope, I'm good. Not saying that Posh Plums has any dupes, but I feel that since I have it I don't need The Dream Sequence. Now that's progress :D I also have a quad from Smashbox that has all purples that I like better. It'll make an appearance in a Palette Play post. If you can catch a BOGO, I recommend getting Downtown Browns along with Posh Plums.

I picked up the Mally 5 piece Evercolor Shadow Stick Library from QVC. The shades included are Gunmetal, Trailblazing Brown, Taupe, Champagne and Shimmering Lilac. I enjoyed all of them but hands down my favorite is Trailblazing Brown. I tweeted Mally telling her that it's perfection and that it's brown girl approved lol. If you haven't figured it out by now, I don't have one lick of sense. It's a brown that would be flattering on a variety of skin tones. If you are on the darker end of the spectrum, this is perfect for a no makeup/natural look. Swipe this on your eye, throw on some liner and mascara and your done with your eyes. It's a good base for neutral brown looks too. It gives the prettiest sheen but not glittery at all. It's one I would definitely repurchase when the time comes. Now I want to check out the shade that's called Brown. I have a darker brown shadow stick of her's that's one of my favorites called Chocolate Diamond. Gunmetal is a close second. This is an instant smokey eye in a tube.

Lips

As I was putting my list of stuff together, the lips section was empty. I was like that can't be right! I had to think back to earlier in the month when I pulled out two red lipsticks from Revlon. Certainly Red is a blue based red and I think it's a red that is flattering on a variety of skin tones. It is a creme finish. Really Red is a bit brighter with a matte finish but not super bright. These two are some of my favorite red lipsticks. I wear both of these with the NYX Lip Liner is Expresso.  If you're looking to delve into red lipstick, start with one of these.

I picked up Bite Beauty's Luminous Crème Lipstick Duo in Vivid. The duo has the shades Violet (vibrant purple) and Palomino (vibrant magenta). I've heard good things about these lipsticks. They are expensive. A single tube is $24. I've had Mulberry on my wish list for a while now. So this duo is a good way to try two shades since it's only $12. These are so smooth, creamy and not drying on the lips. They go out like a lip balm and wear like a lip stain. I'm hoping the come out with another mini set during the holidays like they did last year.

Face

I have had the Serious Skincare's C Power Enzymatic Facial Beauty Treatment with Vitamin C Ester since October. It came in the kit of items that I've mentioned before that I got from HSN. You're only supposed to use the product 2-3 times a week. I use it twice a week. Last month I paid more attention to my skin after using this product. I use it at night and the next morning my skin in smooth, bright and very soft. It's like I used a mask or some kind of scrub the night before instead of this treatment. I've been somewhat lazy when it comes to doing weekly treatments like a mask or scrub but I feel that I get the same results with this product.

The product claims are (from Serious Skincare's website):

• Contains a unique blend of enzyme and amino acids selectively exfoliates skin cells
• Moisturizes and optimizes the natural balance of the epidermis
• Helps skin appear brighter Provides anti-oxidant and collagen-enhancing properties

It's available for purchase on its own from HSN.

I picked up the Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent from Ulta when I had a 20% off coupon and was getting some other items. I was hoping that they had the Dickinson's Witch Hazel Toner which they didn't and I wasn't in the mood to go to CVS just for one product. This toner does have witch hazel in it along with salicylic acid. I've been really enjoying using this toner. It's refreshing and does not burn my skin. It kind of reminds me of the Proactiv Toner. I haven't searched to see how they compare. I also like the packaging. It's not a super huge bottle. It doesn't take up a lot of counter space and will be easy to travel with when work travel begins.

I picked up the L'Oreal Youth Code Eye Cream from a seller on Amazon with free shipping. Woot! It was only $5 so I wasn't going to be crushed if I didn't like it. Turns out I really like this. It's moisturizing and blends into the skin nicely. It doesn't interfere with whatever makeup I have around my eye area. I love the metal applicator which is very soothing and cooling to the under eye area. Some of the product claims are:

• Reduces signs of stress, fatigue and aging
• Skin looks rested, smoother and youthfully luminous
• Breakthrough genactiv technology helps increase skin's natural powers of regeneration, boosting skin's own capacity for recovery
• The cooling massage applicator tip delivers instant de-puffing action for under-eye bags, while lightweight micro-pearls brighten and smooth.

So score for finding an inexpensive eye cream. I will definitely reorder.

Ok sooooo last month I said that once I used up Aveeno's Ultra-Calming Makeup Removing Wipes that I wasn't going to repurchase makeup remover wipes. I think I lied. I cracked the Aveeno wipes open this month and I have really be enjoying using them again. They are very soothing on the skin, very moist, they don't irritate my skin and they get the majority of my makeup off. On the days when I do workout after work, I grab a wipe to remove the majority of makeup. Then I cleanse with the Serious Skincare Glycolic Cleanser and Clarisonic. Have to check Ulta to catch a sale and use their $3.50 off $10 coupon. Or see if I have some reward dollars to use.

Nails

I was kind of obsessed with OPI's Boris & Natasha this month. This is one of the polishes I pulled out for Nail Polish Play for February. It is a deep plumy brown shade. I wore this polish 3 times for the month on it's own and accented with other polishes. The formula is nice, easy to work with and not streaky. It's opaque with 2 coats.

Body

Oh Bath & Body Works! I fell down the rabbit hole back in undergrad. I had never heard of the store. President's Day weekend they have a buy 3, get 3 free promo going on and their hand soaps were on sale. I swear I feel like they practically give their products away with various promos, coupons and sales.  I had been stuck in the house for 3 days due to the snow we got. So I was itching to get out of the house. So why not go and spend some money? LOL! I picked up the scents Cashmere Glow and Amber Blush. OMG both scents are amazeballs! Cashmere glow has "a warm blend of golden peach, exotic berries and glowing lily petals indulged with shimmering vanilla and cashmere musk." It kind of reminds me of Amber Romance from Victoria Secret.  Amber Blush has "sensual blend of raspberry champagne, gardenia petals and magnolia blossom with a seductive kiss of crystallized amber and creamy vanilla suede." I'm a sucker for vanilla scents or anything that has vanilla notes in it.

Hair

We have a hair section this month! Fancy!

Wen Winter Cranberry Mint Cleansing Conditioner is the new winter seasonal set from Wen. Baaaabbbyaaaayyeeee it smells SO GOOD! Just when you think Chaz Dean can't top the previous seasonal, he somehow manages to knock it out of the park. Not just with the scent but with the formula too. I feel that this one it is a bit smoother and creamier and my hair loves it! I'm so glad I got on the seasonal auto delivery in the larger sizes. I also use the seasonal cleansing conditioner as overnight deep conditioning treatments as well has a leave in along with the Wen oil that I'm about to mention next.

I got the Wen Fig Sweet Orange Oil in the Fig Ultimate Hydration Set from QVC. This is one of the newer Wen oils. I have only tried the Pomegranate Rosemary. I wasn't wowed by it. This one the other had is amazeballs! I love the smell and I love how my hair feels after using as an overnight treatment and adding some in my hair before I blow dry it. I'm hoping Chaz Dean has a deal on his oils this year. I have a 1 oz bottle of the Tea Tree Eucalyptus oil that I got in another set that I'm excited to try.

Keracare Essentail Oils For The Hair is a favorite from a loooong time ago. I started using this when I got my hair done at the JcPenny salon. They carried Keracare products. When my stylist left to open her own shop, I happily followed. Keracare products aren't readily available in all beauty supply stores. So I moved on from it. Found some retailers selling it online but their shipping costs were ridiculous! I got an Amazon gift card for Christmas. I found a seller selling the larger bottle with free shipping. So I jumped on it. I'm glad to have this back in my rotation. Especially since the original Wen Tea Tree oil that I enjoyed so much is no longer available and his new oils are pretty pricey. It's a very good hair oil. I mainly use it on my hair at night and after I blow dry my hair after washing. I'm toying around with the idea of getting some tea tree oil and mixing it in smaller bottle with the Keracare oil to use as an overnight treatment for my hair and scalp like I've done with the Wen Tea Tree oil. The Keracare oil does say you can use it a pre-treatment before shampooing your hair. But it doesn't have tea tree oil it in. If I give this a go I'll report back.

Random Stuff

I think I stumbled upon the Concord Grape flavor or the refreshe Sparking Water Beverage at Safeway either last month or in December. I saw it and was like *yonk* in the cart you go! I think it's my new fav! Gives me my grape soda fix. These sparkling water beverages are the best.

Everyone has a product or products that they just have to have on hand or they get antsy. Well at least I do. If I don't have baby wipes on hand then we have a problem. My favorites are the ones from CVS. I usually get the big 3 pack when they are on sale or if I have some CVS bucks to use. Well I hadn't had any CVS bucks in a while and every time I went to CVS they weren't on sale! One random CVS visit, I saw that the Pamper's Sensitive Baby Wipes were on sale. So I said why not. Dare I say that I like these better?!? They are a little larger are and a bit more moist than the CVS ones. I also tried them out on my face to remove my makeup and they were fine.

Surprise Products of the Month

So I pulled out elf's HD blushes the last week of this month to use into March. I hadn't really used them since I got them last year. The first once I used was Superstar which is a coral pink shade. Then I used Headliner which is a dusty pink shade. I was like wow once I put it on. Now this isn't a throw on a go type of product. They are hella pigmented and too much product does dispense out of the tube. I squirt the product on the back of my had, dab some and blend on my check with my finger and then take a small stippling brush (elf or Real Techniques) to blend. Seems like a lot of steps but it goes quick. You can build up the color on your cheeks. And can I say that they LAST ALL DAY! I'd come home in the evening and they look the same as applied earlier that morning. I guess I really didn't pay that much attention to these when I first used them. These are comparable to Makeup Forever's HD blushes but a lot cheaper! They are only $3 and there are 5 shades. So if you have a problem with your blush lasting all day then check these out! I wish they had a red or a orange one.

Meh Products of the Month

The Nude Awakening Palette from Wet n Wild released last spring. I was unable to find it and the other palette that released at any of the drugstores in my area. My beauty pusha was nice enough to scoop both palettes up for me. I hadn't used it until this month for February's Palette Play. A lot of people compared the shades in this palette to the original Naked palette. Now let me first say that I love the original 3 8 pan palettes from Wet n Wild (The Comfort Zone, Petal Pusher and Blue Had Me At Hello) along with the their trios and the 6 pan palettes. This one just didn't do it for me. These didn't seem as pigmented to me as their shadows typically are and I felt like I had to keep packing on color. I was so surprised and kind of disappointed. Maybe I'll reach for it again and give it another whirl.

I don't have it to show you but Revlon's lipgloss in Rose pearl was a "YouTube Made Me Do It" product. Emilynoel83 had talked about it, I thought it was nice and I picked it up. I think from Ulta. I know I had worn it and I liked it at the time. Fast forward to this month. Did my makeup one morning, went to put this gloss on and I was like on hayle naw. Took it off and put something else on. I gave it another whirl on a Sunday when I was kind of bumming it and went out to run some errands. It was somewhat "better" but I still wasn't feeling it. So needless to say it got tossed. I'm iffy when it come to frosty and pearly shades on my lips. This color was close to the natural color of my lips and it just was a no go for me. I need to go through my lip colors and reevaluate them.

I think I've mentioned in a previous post that I've had a tiiiiime with eyeshadow primers! I had heard good things about the Milani Eyeshadow Primer. So I said why not and gave it a go. This primer did not work for me! I swear by like noon I had creasing. Ugh! So this is going in the giveaway pile.

I don't have this to show you because I already returned it to Sephora. On the last Wednesday of the month, I went to Sephora. I picked up Makeup Forever's Mat Velvet + Foundation. I had heard good things about it from some YouTubers whose opinions I value, so I decided to give it a go. *sigh*. It is a full coverage foundation. I've come to the conclusion that me and full coverage foundations do not get along. I picked up the shade Coffee and it was kind of weird. Once I did my whole face and everything set it was kind of ok. One minute I felt like it was ok then too light the next. I wasn't comfortable with it and I know the next shade up would be too dark. Also I want to say it broke me out but it's almost that time of the month, so it cooooould be that. But I'm pointing fingers at the foundation. I told a couple of people that I think the makeup gods are telling me to stick with what I know and what's working for me in terms of foundation. I did order Bobbi Brown's Skin Foundation during the friends & family sale in February. I've had good success with several Bobbi Brown foundations. So I'm not too worried *knock on wood*

And there you have it. Again I'm so sorry that this is long. I'm going to try and come up with something different for next month.

On to March and maybe some more posts. We shall see. If there is something you want to see or talk about let me know ;)

January 2014 Favorites

Well this is late. Sheesh.

I tried to come up with a catchy title for my favorites post for 2014. Couldn't come up with anything. Oh well. We shall see if I came come up with something. Let's get to it!

Eyes

Bare Minerals Fired Up palette came with a Rock the Clock Liner black liner in Midnight. I am not a fan of these liners. I gave all the full sized ones I had away. I used it because it was in the palette. When I applied it, it went on patchy. I was like heck! I'm trying to finish getting ready and out the door and this happens! So I grabbed Wet n' Wild's black eyeshadow in Panther and the Fine Crease Brush from Essence of Beauty. I was able to smudge the jacked up line out with these two products and I really liked the look it created.

Funny, The Balm's Meet Matte Nude palette was in my February 2013 favorites. I pulled this palette out while I was using the first 2 palettes from January Palette Play (The Light Show and Fired Up). These are some nice matte shadows. You get neutrals but you also get some gray/taupe/smokey colors as well. It's a great palette on its on but you can pair it with a palette or quad that doesn't give you a complete look. Which is why I used it with the 2 Bare Minerals palettes.

Lips

During the middle of the month I pulled out L'Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Lip Gloss in #533 Admiration (Color of Hope Edition) and  L'Oreal lipstick #531 Color of Hope. I got this in a L'Oreal set that was on QVC for I think it was either Breast Cancer or Ovarian Cancer. They do special shows and the net proceeds go to research. The lip gloss in a nude brown shade and the lipstick is mauvey pinky brown shade.  If that makes any sense. Every time I wear one, the other or both together, I always take to Amazon looking for a back up. They are both shades that work well with my skin tone separately or together. I have somewhat pigmented lips, so these are a my lips but better color. They go with any eye look or blush color. Both to me are brown girl friendly shades. They are nude but not a concealer kind of nude that washes you or more makes your lips look like you put white out on them or something like that. I lucked up one time and found the Color of Hope lip gloss in a squeeze tube at the Dollar Tree. Of course now I can't find it.

I got the Bare Minerals True Romantic Marvelous Moxie Lip Duo from QVC. I am loving the Moxie gloss. The gloss is called Heartbreaker and it's described as a peony pink shade. I also got a deluxe sample size of Rebel from Sephora.  Forgot to take a pic. Took a pick of the lipstick by mistake ugh! Heer's a link to Sephora's site where you can see the shade. It is described at a pink mauve shade which is right up my alley. I threw it in my makeup bag that I keep with me. I put it on several times later in the day at work when I didn't want to re-apply a lipstick I had on that was of a similar tone. I can definitely see myself getting this in a full size. I am always leery of pink colored lip products. There are very wearable and pretty pink shades that it flattering on a lot of skin tones. Come to think of it, a lot of my favorite pink glosses are Moxie glosses. The formula has also been great for my lips since it have be ridiculously cold! It gives your lips a little tingle but it's not an annoying tingle. Moxie glosses are very moisturizing.

Face

I got the Giovanni Eco Facial Clothes from my Secret Santa who happened to be my boss. I've really been enjoying using these to remove the majority of my makeup before I use Serious Skincare's Glycolic Cleanser and Clasrisonic. I also used these on weekends when I was just kicking around the house and didn't really feel like washing my face. The made me skin feel soft and didn't have my skin feeling tight afterwards. I have some Aveeno wipes to use after I use these up. After the Aveeno wipes, I don't plan on buying anymore makeup wipes. I feel like my Clarisonic and Glycolic cleanser gets everything off in the evening when I wash my face. If I feel the need to use a wipe then I'll use a baby wipe since I always have some on hand.

I've gushed over Wet n Wild's Color Icon blushes before but I don't ever think I've claimed a favorite. I played around with all 4 blushes in January month and I can say Heather Silk is my favorite. Mellow Wine is a close second. Heather Silk is described as dusty pink. Surprise surprise that it's a favorite since this color is my favorite pink blush color.

I used Bare Minerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer for Combination Skin throughout the month. It's a past favorite. I reached for it on days when I was at home and didn't go out. I would wash my face and didn't feel the need to use a moisturizer with SPF since I was in the house. Or I used it when I used a Bare Mineral primer that already had SPF 30. This sinks in nicely into the skin and doesn't make me look greasy. I keep meaning to try their newer moisturizer with SPF 20. That'll be on the list this year to try and get a sample to try it out.

I also picked up the Bare Minerals True Romantic 3-piece Eye & Cheek Collection from QVC. I haven't really played with the quad or eyeliner but the blush....*pauses* is er'thang!!!!! The blush is called swoon and it is described as a petal-pink satin shade. It's a very very pretty wearable shade that can go with any look.

Nails

In my "11 Nail Polishes I Would Repurchase" post I mentioned that the Out the Door top coat was my holy grail top coat. Weellllll I think New York Color Grand Central Station #202 has taken its place! My beauty pusha Crystalis007 raved about the product on her blog. She got it at CVS during a 40% sale. When I went to look for it during the promo it was out of stock. Another random CVS trip I saw it and decided to pick it up. It's only $1.99 so even at full price it's a good deal for a quick dry top coat. This stuff is good! The one thing I had always hated about painting my nails is waiting for them to dry. Out of the quick dry top coats I've tried, this one is the best. Once I use up the bottle of Out the Door I have,I am sticking with this. I forgot to take a pic of it *head palm*

During the last CVS beauty sale, I picked 5 Milani nail polishes (Chocolate Sprinkles, Black Cherry, Bolting Blue, Dark Coffee and Deep Thoughts). I had only tried a glitter polish which I wasn't wowed by. I haven't heard a lot of people talk about these polishes but they are really nice. They are easy to apply and opaque with just one coat. There's one more that I may go check and see if it still on sale. I can't remember what that are at regular price but they still aren't that expensive. If you are a blue nail polish lover then you need to check out Bolting Blue! It's gorg! Ignore the Black Radiance Primers pictured :D

Body

Another gift from my Secret Santa was the Biggs & Featherbelle Fresh Mint & Sugar Body Scrub. This is a nice scrub. It's not too abrasive, it washes off easily and your skin feels moisturized to the point where you may not need to put on a lotion once you dry off. I didn't try that because even though my face is oily, the rest of me is DRY. So I don't play with it comes to lotion lol!!

Random Stuff

From hsn.com

Andrew Lessman's Secure Complete Meal Replacement has been a favorite for a while. I love it especially in the evenings when I come home and I know I should eat something but I really don't feel like eating. They come in these packets and a canister form. I love these packets for work and travel. I love how it mixes easily. I usually mix with milk or almond milk. I also love that this doesn't make me gassy. TMI I know but I've tried other products that gave me the feeling of being full but I had terrible gas and bloated! I was like jeez! I will definitely reorder.

Another food favorite are Kind Bars. I think I first tried these when I saw them in the grocery store, QVC had a TSV in January and I jumped on getting these. Some people said that it wasn't a good value and I compared it to some currently prices that were on Amazon and what I've paid at the grocery store when I have caught them on sale. I was fine with getting it.

One day while I was in the Dollar Tree, I needed to grab some toothpaste. I'm usually a Crest girl but for some reason I grabbed Aquafresh. Talk about old school lol. My mom used to use it when I was a kid. It came in standing tube. I think it was green.  Anywho...wasn't expecting much but turns out I really like it. I was in Walgreens and went don't the toothpaste aise and they had the larger tubes on sale, 2 for $3. So I got another tube and they also had the whitening version that I grabbed. Been using it the last couple of weeks and like it too. I was in CVS and they didn't have it. They had the newer version the deep clean, extra clean or whatever it's called. I love when finding stuff at the Dollar Tree turns out to be a good thing :) Don't sleep on the Dollar Tree.

I did a 28 day workout challenge in January. The challenge was put together by Jessica Smith TV. The challenge was awesome. It was mix of different things from high intensity, high impact workouts to yoga to indoor walking/jogging and some other things. Her website has a TON of information and workouts for various fitness levels. She also gives alternative moves for you to do if the current move is too challenging. She very encouraging but she does push you.  Her videos are on YouTube. Now that the challenge is over, she's sending out weekly workout schedules. I'm getting back into my Walk at Home workouts with Leslie Sansone but I will check out Jessica here and there to mix things up. Her videos will be handy when work travel rolls back around.

Surprise Products of the Month

Michele1218 on YouTube mentioned the First Aid Beauty Repair Cream in her 2013 favorites and she used it on her hands since they had been so dry. So of course I was like hmmmm. I've had mine for a while and rarely used it. I got it in a New Beauty Test Tube from QVC. So I put my tube by my bathroom sink and have really been enjoying it. The 2oz size is $12. So I doubt I'll purchase it when I'm done. I want to try Neutrogena's hand cream that I've heard good things about. It was nice to hear how someone else used the product, so that I can use it up and be done with it.

I was watching MakeupbyTiffanyD's Ulta haul and she picked up some Tree Hut products. I picked up the Shower Wash, Lotion and scrub in Brazilian Nut. It smells so good! The shower wash and lotion are very moisturizing.  I wondered if the scent would linger but it is very light. So I don't think it would interfere with whatever fragrance I may decide to wear. I'll have to test it out and see. The prices on the products were awesome too. Everything was under $8 and you can you Ulta coupons towards them. When I got these products I have a 20% coupon along with some reward dollars. They also had a promo of buy 2 get 1 free going on when I got these. They have other scents but my nose liked Brazilian Nut the most.

Meh Products of the Month

I picked up the Beauty Blender when I have a discount offer from bloom.com. I got the set that came with 2 Beauty Blenders and the cleanser. I've used this with liquid and cream foundations. I don't like with liquid and it's ok with cream foundations. When I've used it with liquid foundations, I feel like I use too much foundation and waste product. Then bouncing the product on my face multiple times to blend in foundation is kind of annoying, I got this product off of hype and there wasn't anything else I wanted on the site at that time. If I had to go back again, I wound't purchase the Beauty Blender. I'm just not in love with like everyone else seems to be. I may try it with cream blush products. If you're curious about this then I would suggest looking at some of the dupes for the Beauty Blenders. Some reviews have said that various dupes are just as good as the Beauty Blender. Real Techniques also recently released their own sponge and I want to say it's less that $10 and you can use coupons and catch deals at Ulta.

I picked up Urban Decay's Anti-Aging eye primer from Ulta. I have been having a TIME with eye primers, so I decided to try this one out. *sigh* Did not like it at all. My eye look creases in a few hours! I wish I had looked a Musings of a Muse blog post on the product before I got. Her reviews are pretty spot on and she didn't like this one. Needless to say it went back! I'm all about returning products that don't work for me this year. No more of  "trying" to make something work. Either it works for me or it doesn't. End of story.

And there you have it. Not too bad this month.

On to February!