January 2017 Favorites

I’m going to get right into my favorites for January 2017-

Beauty

Sephora Airbrush Bronzer Mist / Went too hard on the bronzer or contour and now your neck looks a bit pale compared to your face?  Were heavy handed in the undereye highlight and need to bring down the contrast from the rest of your face? Want to be bronzed and glowy for no reason and it’s January? This spray bronzer is gorg. I have said this before, but it is like having a real life filter for your face. I spray it on when I’m all done with my makeup if I want to look more tan, and it gives that celeb bronze glow. I also like spraying it on a brush and putting it on my neck or intensifying the bronze on my cheeks and forehead. It’s currently on sale for $19 at Sephora.

 

Laura Mercier Editorial Eyes Palette / I was lucky enough to receive this palette from Influenster, and I raved about it here. Every single shade of this shimmer and matte palette is perfect for a cool toned look. The clay texture of these is something really different.

 

Tape trick / If you have never tried the trick of placing a piece of Scotch tape from the outer corner of your eye to get a clean angled cat eye outer corner, you haven’t lived. I took a break from doing this for the past few months because I felt like it was a bit of a cop out, but now I’m back into it for almost every look I do. Why not make things easier on yourself?

 

Scrunchies / You know that time of the year that you realize all your hair bands are gone? That happened to me around December and I just finally got around to picking up a new pack. I went for basic thin scrunchies from a grocery store, and I love how they hold my hair tight but don’t leave a mark! I don’t even care that I probably look like a six year old with a scrunchie on my bun.

 

Conair hair straightening brush / I mentioned that I purchased this in an Ulta Haul last month.  I haven’t picked up my normal Babyliss straightener since. I find that this brush keeps my hair straight until I wash my hair the next time (which is usually quite a few days). At $30, it is SUCH a budget friendly straightening option.

 

Looxi Wheatness and Highlighters / I raved about Looxi’s eyeshadow and highlighters in a post this month, and I am still reaching for the highlighters almost every time I do my makeup. These highlighters are great because they aren’t chunky, and you don’t have to dig your brush into them to get a nice wash of shimmer. 

 

Sephora Cream Lip Stains / I have already done two posts on this so I won’t beat a dead horse, but I can’t put these lipsticks down! Definitely swatch them next time you are at a Sephora.

 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Stripped / Need a basic nude lip? Stripped is such a great staple nude and definitely my favorite color from ABH that I have.

 

MAC Yash / Another bomb nude lipstick. If I am not trying to make a statement and I just want nude skin-tone lips that don’t wash me out, Yash is what I wear.

 

Viva La Juicy Noir by Juicy Couture  / This was a splurge purchase that I made when I was in Ulta on my lunch break this month. I went through the Viva La Juicy phase from ages 17-20 and it reminds me of the years of velour sweatpants, hideous Juicy purses, tanning too much, and plucking my brows. I have heard some good things about the “Noir” version, and gave it a sniff. This one is a bit more sultry and nighttime-ish than Viva La Juicy, but it still makes me nostalgic when I wear it.  Only negative is that the packaging is so hot topic it makes me gag

 

Essie Topless & Barefoot + Nina Burst my Bubble / This nail polish combination popped up on Pinterest. It suggested Essie Sugar Daddy, but I used what I had in my collection and any sheer light bubblegum pink does the trick.  Essie Topless & Barefoot is a must have shade for every skin tone. The only problem is that it comes with a skinny AF brush and the application can be tedious. Going in over top with the sheer color makes everything look flawless and adds a touch of glam pink to the nude manicure. I loved the result!

 

Dr. Baby Lips / I have wanted to pick up this Maybelline lip treatment for a while now because I heard it is a dupe of the Fresh sugar lip treatments. While I haven’t tried those out, I definitely have been enjoying this drugstore option. It adds moisture to my lips and is clear. I CAN’T STAND when lip products make my lips more pink or red, and Baby Lips that I tried in the past had that effect. This one is perfectly clear and lasts for awhile on my lips. I took it with me to on a business trip and it kept my lips perfectly soft on the cross country Portland to Virginia and back flights.

 

Lush Rose Jam Bubbleroon /  Listen to the description on this bubble bar from the Lush site, “Inspired by delicious handmade macarons, our Rose Jam Bubbleroon features an intoxicating lemon-rose perfume. Rose oil and rose absolute not only smell amazing but they’re also fantastic for soothing dry, sensitive skin. The rosy fragrance paired with the dreamy shea butter icing that sticks the two halves of this bubbleroon together makes for two majorly moisturizing, softening and luxurious soaks.” I don’t have anything else to add, but try this!

 

Viseart Warm Mattes 10 Palette / So I splurged. My makeup addiction got the best of me and I ordered the Viseart Warm Mattes palette. Do I need more neutral matte eye shadows? No. Do I regret this? No. At $8 each eye shadow for a total of $10 shadows, I spent the most I have ever spent on a makeup product I’m pretty sure- $80. Typing that is scary but honestly $8 each is worth it for the quality of these shades. These blend perfectly, are ultra pigmented, and have any and every transition shade I could need for a warm matte smokey eye. If you have been on the fence about trying Viseart palettes, go for it. Warning though, it is a gateway palette and now I want to get more from Viseart. SOS.

Foundation Combination / Two parts daily moisturizer, one part MAC Face & Body foundation. I mix this concoction up in my hands, and apply it onto my face. Face & Body doesn’t have any SPF on it’s own so the spf moisturizer kicks it up a notch, and adding in the lotion also sheers it out.  It is already a very sheer foundation, so this makes it just about undetectable on the skin. It is still enough coverage to even out my weird red areas and make me look super fresh. It lasts me all day long and fades very evenly instead of patchy. The best part is that it feels like there is nothing on your skin. The trick to MAC F&B is that you must apply it with your hands. That makes it even faster and easier!

Chantel Jeffries GRWM Tutorial / I’m not sure when I started following Chantel Jeffries on insta, but I’m pretty sure she is Justin Beiber’s ex gf and a friend of Kylie Jenner. No matter that though, her makeup is gorgeous. She has a youtube channel and posted a copper eye makeup look done by @MakeupbySamuel that wowed me when I tried it out.  Samuel does the Kardashian’s makeup, so he knows what’s up. Personally, I suck at doing eye makeup before my complexion is complete. I just can’t get the hang of it! With this tutorial, I executed it perfectly and fell in love with how it looked. She uses copper and golds on the lid, and warm mattes in the crease with some cream contour and nude lips. Add this to your Youtube watch list and be stoked at how perfect you look when you try it out!

 

Other

Hydroflask / You may not have heard of this brand if you aren’t from the Pacific Northwest US. Like the more popular brand Swell water bottles, they keep drinks cold or hot for 12 or so hours. Unlike Swell, the opening is actually big enough to insert ice cubes and the lid has a straw. Straws make me drink water so much faster and I love my huge new white bottle to take everywhere I go.

F21 sweaters / These sweaters have been a godsend. They feel like a microfiber fleece yarn sweater that is chunky and perfect to snuggle up in. I wear them to work and on the weekend constantly, and I really like how they make me feel like I’m in a blanket. The yarn they are made of keeps me warm but is breathable, so I don’t sweat or get overheated like some sweaters. Definitely snag one up if you are looking for a flowy sweater!

 

Gold Jewelry / Ever since I was a teenager I have preferred silver jewelry to gold. However, something has gotten into me in the last two months or so that makes me want everything gold! It’s a strange change for me, but I feel like it pops more against my skin. I want gold everything! Forever 21 has some adorable chokers that look so cute on a night out or for an Instagram makeup photo and I updated my everyday watch that I wear in the gold version. I even put in a gold nose ring that my parents hate because I am addicted to shiny gold stuff at the moment.

 

Repost by Z Palette / I was beyond excited that Z Palette reposted one of my images on their instagram. If you have a makeup account, you know how hard it is to grow in follower numbers. (Or is that just me?)  It was so cool to get recognized by a brand I know and love.

 

The Bachelor and Teen Mom 2 / Two of my favorite shows returned this month and I couldn’t be happier to have something to watch on Tuesday nights! I watch on Hulu so I am always a day late to when the show airs on Monday nights. Talking to my coworkers about who is got the rose is the highlight of my Wednesday mornings.  My favorite girl on the Bachelor is Sarah! I kind of think she could do better than Nick though lol.

 

Jersey Shore on Hulu / My boyfriend and I have been re-watching this series, and it gets better with time.  While I laugh so hard at some of the stuff the crew gets into, they are all still such a loving little TV family and they really care about each other. Give it a re-watch when you just need to throw on a funny show.

 

Getting a haircut / I had been avoiding a hair appointment for way longer than I should have to save some money and let my hair be long.  I feel like everytime my hair is just starting to get long, I do the responsible thing and get my ends trimmed up. I always leave the salon loving my cut, but not liking the fact that I’m back to having medium-ish length hair.  I want long princess locks!  For a long time I just let it keep growing instead of booking a trim to avoid the medium length thing. About two weeks ago I finally caved and trimmed up my ends, had my hair thinned a bit, and refreshed my layers. It feels soooo good now, and fortunately, it is still long.  I’ve been taking good care of my hair so I will be extending the time until my next appointment again, but I wanted to remind anyone out there to not go too long!

 

@merlot_the_golden / Oh. My. God. A girl I know from college started an Instagram account of her red golden retriever puppy.  My future dream dog is a golden, so I love living through this insta and drooling over the adorableness of this dog. I follow way too many golden retriever accounts.

Rose Tea / Every month I tell myself I’m going to drink more green tea, but coffee always pulls me back in. Determined again, I went on the hunt for a delicious tea that I can drink during my work day. I tried Yogi Soothing Rose Hibiscus Skin DeTox tea and am in love. While I am still drinking coffee black during the week and indulging in some almond milk creamer on the weekends, I find myself craving this tea!  Tea drinkers, please send me your flavor recommendations! My requirements- lots of caffeine, non fruity, and non loose leaf (I’m lazy).

 

Face Steaming / I have been having major positive changes in my skin recently, and one of the most refreshing and bacteria- murdering things I like to do is to steam my face. I get a wash cloth steamy hot in the sink, ring it out, and lay it on my face to open up my pores and really wipe off anything left. After a minute or less, the towel cools off, and I repeat the process. Doing this before and after shaving peach fuzz leaves me with bright soft skin and helps kill any acne that is even thinking of coming out.

 

That’s it for now! I have already been discovering awesome products that I can’t wait to talk about in February favorites, but I’ll save that for the next round. Thanks for reading and I would love to hear your favorite products from this past January.

-Kim