December Favorites
It’s time for my last monthly favorites post of 2013. Can you believe that the year is over? I feel like I say this every month, but I don’t know where the time went. I had a very good Christmas and am excited for the New Year. I do plan on doing a Favorites for 2013 post to wrap up the products that I most loved for the year, but that’s going to take some more planning and narrowing down. In the meantime, here are my favorites for the month of December.
Benefit Porefessional Primer
I have two higher end favorites this month, and the first is Benefit Porefessional Primer. I’ve mentioned Porefessional on this blog before in a previous favorites post. While I have never gotten the full size product, I love getting samples like this because it’s a really nice primer, especially if I want a break from my usual silicone primers. It does a good job of hiding my pores and providing a smooth canvas for my foundation. Though not my all-time favorite, I really like Benefit Porefessional.
Philosophy Miracle Worker
Another sample that I’ve been loving is the Philosophy Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Retinoid Eye Repair. I got this as a 100 point perk from Sephora. I wasn’t that excited to try it, and only chose this product because I didn’t like the other perks offered, but I am so glad that I did. Miracle Worker has a thick gel-like consistency and feels really good on the skin. I’ve had sensitivity to retinol (or retinoid? Is there a difference or are they the same thing?) in the past, but have had no issues with Miracle Worker. I really like this product, but the price is a bit steep. Full size is $65 for 0.5 oz. Yikes! It’s a great product, though, so if you are willing to invest it may be worth a try. I’ll probably stick to my Micheal Todd for now, but this Miracle Worker sample was a great perk and a little goes a long way.
Real Techniques Buffing Brush
Back on the affordable end of things, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush has been a favorite for a long time. I can’t decide between it and the Sigma F80 for my favorite foundation blending brush. I know that this brush is made for mineral foundations and powders, but I love the way it blends my liquid foundation. I got my Buffing Brush in the Core collection with three other brushes, and am not sure if it is sold separately. Even if it isn’t, the Core collection is totally worth it for the Buffing brush. The contour brush that comes in the collection is nice too. I use this brush all the time and have washed it many times and it is still going strong after almost two years. It’s great quality and really affordable.
Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Standout
I have been loving red lips this month, and Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Standout has been awesome. I did a review that you can see here for more information, but let me just say that Standout is gorgeous. It is such a lovely red, perfect for the holiday. In fact, here is a picture from Christmas with my family where I am wearing Standout. It’s the perfect Christmas color.
Christmas 2013
Standout is pigmented, super comfortable for a matte, and wears really well. It also leaves a nice stain when it fades.
The Body Shop Honeymania Body Butter
I am usually a B&BW fan, but I branched out to The Body Shop when they were on sale and discovered the Honeymania Body Butter. Oh my god, this smells sooooo good! I used The Body Shop years ago, and remember really liking the products, but haven’t really used them in a while. I have always liked their body butter formula, though. It’s creamier and silkier than B&BW body butter, and absorbs better. The Honeymania scent is so nice. It smells like honey and wild flowers, and is just gorgeous. I love it. I will definitely be repurchasing when The Body Shop goes on sale again.
Sapphire necklace
My last favorite isn’t a beauty product. I’ve seen a lot of people doing “What I got for Christmas” posts/videos, but I didn’t want to sound like I was bragging, so I just wanted to show one thing because my husband got it for me (and it’s awesome). He gave me this teardrop sapphire necklace with white sapphire accents. I think it’s beautiful. He did such a good job. I love the twisting spiral part. It looks even better in real life. This was definitely my favorite gift. 😉
That’s it for 2013. I am so ready for 2014 to begin. The first half of 2013 was really hard on me. I was still grieving and kind of depressed. Things really started to pick up and improve in the later part of June and the second half of 2013 was pretty awesome. I am hoping to continue that momentum into 2014, which I am predicting will totally rock. I’ve got big, big plans. I hope that you all have a happy and safe New Years.
Welcome 2014, I’m glad to see you.
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