Monthly Favorites: November 2014

Monthly Favorites: November 2014

Happy December! I have been wanting to start a monthly favorites series on my blog for a while, and there’s no better time than after a very hectic month where I am just reaching for the  same things that keep my daily routine nice and simple. Here are my top 5 November favorites:

Weleda Skin Food-As soon as the cold weather hit, my face was feeling extremely dry and raw as usual, so I had to find something that would keep my skin moisturized around the clock. This stuff heals dry skin like no other. It is recommended more for things like dry hands, elbows, and ankles, but I have been using it on dry areas on my face and it has saved my skin. It’s super thick and balmy, so a tiny bit goes a long way. This is the first winter where my face hasn’t peeled from being so dry. I wear it day and night, and it doesn’t cause any extra oiliness or any breakouts. My skin feels smooth, firm, and hydrated. I don’t know if I could ever survive a winter without it now. It’s amazing stuff!

NYX Cosmetics BB Cream in Nude-I’ve never had much luck with BB creams. In fact, I was not even really sure what the point was until I tried this. It looks a bit dark coming out of the tube, but it blends into my fair skin nicely and evens out a lot of the redness and even tones down some of the veins around my nostrils. It smooths my skin out nicely and is lightweight and not oily at all. So far, what I have described are only bonuses for me. These things can all be achieved with foundation, concealer, primer, etc. The main thing I really love about this is that it keeps my makeup looking incredibly matte all day. Once I put it on over the BB cream, I don’t have to mess with it for the rest of the day. For someone that generally ends up with an oil slick on their face before noon, this is a HUGE deal.

L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Waterproof Mascara-This mascara has pretty much been a staple in my beauty arsenal for well over a year. When my mascara sample stash started getting out of control, I took a break from it and tried out a bunch of the fancy pants ones for a while to start clearing some of it out. Some were good and some were bad. Something brought me back to this one this month, and suddenly life became easier. It has some pretty serious volume, is relatively clump-free, and the brush is easy to work with. I also don’t end up with eyelashes stamped onto my brow bones by the end of the day, which is a pretty common occurance for me. The quality is right up there with the more expensive brands, if not better. I’m pretty sure it’s still my favorite.

Kate Walsh Boyfriend-Sephora did an evil, evil thing and sent me a sample of this perfume after it had already been discontinued and they were sold out in their store. This was a case of instantaneous love, and as much as I tried to find something wrong with it, I just couldn’t. I searched the entire internet to find a trustworthy and affordable place to purchase it from, but nothing turned up. Eventually, a Hautelook sale popped up on my radar and I stocked up. It seems to be in and out of stock on the Sephora site (it is available as I type this), so I know it’s not completely unattainable yet. This is THE perfect scent for cold weather. I dreamed this scent. This is what I’ve been searching for my entire life. It has notes of dark plum, myrrh, night blooming jasmine, benzoin tears, skin musk, golden amber, vanilla woods. It’s extremely unique and just one spray is enough to last throughout the day without fading. I can still even smell it on scarves or jackets I’ve worn a week ago. I can’t get enough.

Rimmel London ScandalEyes Gel Eyeliner-I’ve been experimenting lately with old eyeliners that I had trouble with in the past now that I am getting better with the liquids and gels, and this was one that I probably had the least trouble with back then, which isn’t saying too much. I’ve started using it nearly every day again because it is so simple to use. It comes with its own brush, which is decent, but I use a Laura Mercier brush that is much easier to work with. I dampen the brush to get it to go on smoothly and it turns out great every time. This eyeliner is a true black and semi-matte, which I love. It stays put all day and isn’t affected by the oiliness of my eyelids at all.

November was a great month to discover some new things that I am really happy with and to revisit old products that just can’t be beat. With all of the holiday craziness, I have been desperately needing to simplify my routine, and these things definitely make me feel more put together without having to put forth a lot of effort. I’m ready to see what December brings to build off of some of these awesome basics!