FAVORITES: January 2015
First off, I've gotta admit that I've been planning on doing this favorites post all week, since I always prefer to do it as early as possible, but life has been a little bit crazy and I just hadn't gotten around to doing photos for the post. Also, I am planning on doing full reviews on a lot of these products in the near future, since so many of them are new to me things that I've been trying out, so keep a look out for those if any of these pique your interest! January feels like one of those months when the makeup world goes a little mad with power and new collections seem to be launching every week, so there are so many things that I need to get around to trying and reviewing right now.
That said, this is about my favorites this month, so keep reading for a closer look....
BEAUTY FAVORITES
1. tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette
I actually have a funny story about this palette. On Boxing Day, my cousin and I went into shopping mode and arrived at Sephora in time for the doors opening only to be really disappointed with what they had on offer. I had gift cards though, so I picked this up because... look at it, it's gorgeous. Anyway, about 45 minutes later, we were in a shoe store and my cousin was picking up a pair of boots, so I sat down to check my phone while she waited in line and there was an email waiting for me telling me that I had won this in a giveaway. Won it. In a giveaway. I never win things... which is pretty much why I bought this, because I completely assumed I wasn't going to win. And then I did. How incredible is that? So I had to run back to Sephora and return it amidst all of the madness. I ended up getting the Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette instead. Anyway, as soon as this arrived, I pretty much fell in love with it. It's completely matte, all of the shadows are super buttery and pigmented and they apply like an absolute dream. I believe I heard that this is limited, so if you haven't picked it up and you love matte neutral shadows as much as I do... get it. Right now. I'll wait.
2. L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte 24Hr Foundation
I reviewed this product last week and I feel like everyone and their dog has reviewed it as well... But I literally haven't seen a single negative review and that's pretty much unheard of. In the interest of not drowing you in another block of text like above, I will keep this brief. This is the best foundation in the drugstore. It kicks the ass of the Revlon Colorstay and the CoverGirl Outlast 3-in-1 Foundation. It might be one of the top 3 foundations I've ever tried in life. It's just... really, really good. It has great coverage, a natural looking demi-matte finish, and really great staying power. I can't even tell you how much I love this stuff... I'm kinda regretting picking up a backup of my CoverGirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous because, no matter how much I love that foundation, all I want to wear is this one.
3. Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
This is actually a mini-size that I got from a Black Friday kit... and I'm actually planning on posting a review of all three products in this kit next week. But this one is the standout and I've been consistently using it about once a week all month to give my skin a serious moisture boost to combat the drying effects of a Winnipeg winter. This mask packs a lot of punch, soaks into the skin and doesn't feel heavy, and smells super yummy delicious. I have absolutely every intention of buying a full size of this when this one runs out... and I'm pretty sure it will last a really long time, because you don't need much to cover your face and really make a difference in your skin's moisture.
4. Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Berry Nude
This is yet another product that I have a full review of planned for next week, but I had to mention it here because I've been wearing little else on my lips for the past couple of weeks. I love a matte lip, it's definitely my preferred look, and these are a true matte formula. They apply easily, smooth and super pigmented, and they set to a really weightless matte finish on the lips. I can definitely see how they could be drying, so I always prep my lips with balm before I apply this and I've had no problems with this causing problematic dryness. Look for my full review of this shade as well as 2 others next week.
5. L'Oreal Infallible Pro Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray
How's that for a mouthful? Anyway, this is another yet to be reviewed product that you can look for a full review on in the near future. I really like this for setting my makeup and definitely extending the wear. I find that this works well with every foundation and BB cream that I've tried it with, but it definitely works best with the Infallible Foundation that I mentioned above - probably more on account of the fact that that foundation is bomb than this really working better with that foundation than others. I will get more in depth about this when I do a full review, but what I will say now... This is expensive for drugstore, but I find it just as effective as the twice-as-expensive Urban Decay setting sprays I've used in the past... so there's that. I think this is worth the money.
NON-BEAUTY FAVORITES
The Good Wife on NETFLIX
I'm terrible at watching most TV shows as they air. When I have to wait a week between episodes, I tend to lose interest, so I had never actually watched The Good Wife until a few weeks ago when I had a little time and I saw it recommended to me on Netflix. And I love it. I love a show that centers around a well fleshed out female character who is dealing with real life things, whether they be the extraordinary circumstances of a privileged woman with a powerful, scandalized husband or simply the every day issues of being a working mother and trying to juggle all of the balls. I love it. Beyond that, I've always been a fan of procedural shows that have a storyline thread running through weekly cases, so this is right on point for me. I've only gotten to the end of Season 2, so I have a good way to go and I don't know if it stays as good as it has been... But we'll see, because I'm addicted.
We have a lot of teas on the tea shelf in our pantry. Like... A lot. Enough that I have no business buying other teas. This one has been there for a while and has long been a favorite of mine. See, I love chai tea, but the caffeine isn't good for drinking in the evening, and this is Celestial Seasonings answer to that. Recently, I've been making this the same way one would make a traditional chai tea... Sort of. I like to give this a nice long steep and then add almond milk and a splash of agave nectar. It's like dessert, it's just so delicious and warm and comforting. This has definitely been my evening sipping choice lately.
TARDIS Throw Blanket
You guys. YOU GUYS. I got this as a gift from my boyfriend's family for Christmas, because they are aware of my full blown Whovian obsession with all things Doctor Who and is it literally the most comfortable blanket ever. It's cozy, soft and warm and I pretty much just want to crawl under it every day when I get home from work, turn on episodes of Doctor Who on Netflix and exist in cozy, SciFi happiness until it's time to go to bed... Oh, that I could do that! Either way, this blanket has been living in our living room and has converted my dog from being a foot of the bed sleeper to being a downstairs in the living room curled up on the TARDIS blanket sleeper. I want to turn this blanket into clothes and wear it all winter. It's THAT cozy and awesome.
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