I know, I know, I know. December favorites post is finally going live and it’s almost time for January Favorites, which is why I’m going to combine them for this month (span). From a few days after New Years until the other day, I was the plague incarnate. I pretty much did nothing except binge watch Friends on Netflix, drink NyQuill, and sleep. I’m so happy that I’m finally kicking the crud. Which means I can finally concentrate on writing a bit more, and hopefully do a mass photo shoot for a couple of future posts this weekend.
With the winter weather perpetually drying my face out, I can get to about midday before I feel like I didn’t put on any moisturizer that morning whatsoever. Hence the Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herb and Rosewater has a pretty prominent spot on my desk. It is always within reach. It’s just a nice little boost that’s really soothing and smells wonderful. The aloe and rosewater are very gentle, and would work well for people with sensitive skin. It does a pretty good job at calming my skin down when it decides to get a little red too. Bonus points: it’s also paraben free.
I had gone through about 3 or 4 little vials of Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb before actually looking at it’s description on the Sephora site. Apparently it is geared more towards men/as a unisex fragrance. It’s definitely a lot heavier than their flowerbomb, but I just can not get enough of this smell. I’m so happy I found it because it was getting increasingly more difficult to find my signature date night scent (Diesel fuel for life unlimited). Though it’s not something I’d wear daily, I love it for nights out. The heavy touches of bergamot with the warmth of the cinnamon leaf? Swoon.
I got a mini version the Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lolita, in one of my Black Friday door buster snags. Unless I’m shooting for something bold, this is my go to color. For a dusty rose color, it’s more pinky than brown, and accentuates your lips without being overwhelming. It’s a nice subtle shade that is just a bit more than a MLBB (My Lips But Better). Even though it’s matte, it has a nice velvety feel to it once it’s on. It does drag a bit on application – but I’ve yet to find a good matte that doesn’t. I read that it’s supposed to last around 10 hours, but I’m getting more of a 3-4 hour range with it. Though it holds up nicely through all of the coffee and tea I drink.
I have been wearing the Pacifica Natural Eye Pencil in Fringe a lot lately. I love using it around on my waterline/tightline as a way to make my eyes pop. Even when I’m not wearing a cat eye, just running this through my tightline makes my lashes look so much fuller, and my overall look just appear more put together on those bare minimum days. It stays put, doesn’t migrate all over my face, and applies way more smoothly than I originally expected. It is also paraben free, and is packed with a bunch of moisturizing ingredients (admittedly not something I think about with eyeliner, but hey, why not).
Quick shout out to the lovely Tay over at Tay’s Life Unscripted (check out her blog here)! She posted a review of the box of blushes that Benefit released pre-holidays, and I fell in love with her swatch of Bella Bamba. So naturally, when Ulta had the the Bella Bamba blush and lip gloss for $18 on Black Friday, I bought 2… It was love at first swatch. It is just the best sheer but glowy (and yet somehow not overly glittery) blush I could ask for. Despite it being pigmented, it blends out really nicely. Even when I’m a bit heavy-handed I never end up looking like Krusty or It.
Impluse buys are a thing, especially during the holidays when the stores are understaffed and overcrowded. The cashiers are trying their hardest to work through the 80 person line as fast as they can, and while my heart goes out to them, you start to appreciate all of the things surrounding the checkout queue. That’s how I ended up with these Midi Rings from H&M. They come in a pack of 6 (3 regular and 3 midi) for about $6. I adore these. I have been wearing them everywhere with everything. I honestly wear them so much that my first two have already lost most of the plating. I want to get a proper set in rose gold – so I’m scouring Etsy for something similar (let me know if you have any shops on there you like!).
You can find the Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lolita here, the Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herb and Rosewater here, the Pacifica Natural Eye Pencil in Fringe here, the Benefit Bella Bamba Blush here, the Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb here, and the H&M Midi Rings here.
♡Em
