December Favorites

December favorites

Time is flying and it’s time for another monthly favorites post.  I hope that you all had a great New Year’s celebration.  I can’t believe it’s 2012 already!  I don’t have too many favorites this month.  I either was testing products for the blog, or using the same items I’ve used before.  I don’t want to be redundant, so if I’ve mentioned a product in a previous favorites post, I’ll try not to repeat myself.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara

The first item that I’ve been loving this month is Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara.  I got this in a value kit on Black Friday, so this version doesn’t come in the signature purple faux snake skin cover.  I have to say that I didn’t want to like this mascara so much.  It’s normally $19, which is more than I am willing to pay for mascara, usually.  However, Lights, Camera,Lashes! may be the best mascara I’ve ever used, and therefore worth the splurge.  According to Tarte: “This is what we call a push-up bra for your lashes™ a 4-in-1 (lengthening, curling, volumizing and conditioning) dermatologist tested mascara that gives dramatic, thick, sexy lashes and is clinically proven to increase lash volume by 424%”.  They aren’t kidding.  Lights, Camera,Lashes! gives that false lashes appearance that we are all after.  It’s fantastic!  I will probably stick with my Cover Girl Lashblast as my staple mascara because of the price, but I am seriously tempted to throw a tube of Lights, Camera,Lashes! into the mix every now and then, despite the high-end price tag.

e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

On the complete other end of the spectrum is e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen for $1.  I rediscovered this gem in my stash this month.  I used the e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen all the time earlier in the year, but have been distracted with other liners lately.  I love these marker style pens because I am horrible with liquid liners that have the standard thin brush.  The marker gives me much more control to get a thin even line as opposed to looking like I applied my liner while being periodically electrocuted.  E.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pens apply smoothly, are richly pigmented, and last on my lids all day.  I don’t experience any fading or flaking with these.  They are a great bargain at only one dollar.  Even better, e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pens come in a 8 different colors from black and brown to green and teal.

Coastal Scents 88 Warm palette

I have been getting a lot of use from my Coastal Scents 88 Warm palette this month.  Though I’ve been changing my eye looks up a lot, I keep coming back to this palette.  I like to use matte shades in the winter, and there are some great matte plums and browns here, as well as the shimmery shades.  I’ve been loving the highlight colors especially, but I also use this palette to line my eyes with the matte black and dark brown.  I fill in my eyebrows with a shade from this palette as well.  These shades are soft and richly pigmented, so the palette should last me a long while.  I’ve had it since July, but it hardly looks like I’ve touched it, though I use it often.  The 88 Warm palette costs $24.95, but Coastal Scents often has sales and specials, so you can order it for less.  Just keep an eye out on their website, or sign up for their mailing list.

Slatkin & Co. Spiced Cider Wallflower

The last item I have for you is not a beauty item, but it does come from Bath & Body Works.  I love the Slatkin & Co. Wallflowers, and have been using them religiously for a long while, now.  I picked up Spiced Cider during the Black Friday sale and am so glad that I did.  It smells so good.  The scent is wintery, but not overtly Christmas, so though it was great for the holidays, I can still use the scent now that Christmas is over.  I’m not a fan of sugary scents, and much of B&BW winter scents are sugar-centric.  When smelling Spiced Cider, I definitely pick up the nutmeg, clove, and either cinnamon or ginger, but the spices are mellowed out by a subtle apple scent.  The apple doesn’t come through too strongly ( I’m not a fan of apple scents) but instead softens the spices so that they aren’t too over-powering.  This is a fabulous home fragrance for fall and winter, and right now Wallflowers are included in the huge rubber ducky sale at Bath & Body Works, so grab them while you can.

That’s it for my December favorites.  I hope you saw something that you may want to check out for yourself.  I will be doing a 2011 favorites post where I will discuss my top products of the year, so keep an eye out for that sometime next week.

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