Monthly Beauty Favorites | November 2014

It's hard to believe that November has already come and gone and that the holiday season is firmly upon us. Now, if you'll remember I began November by deciding to institute a No Spend November beauty spending ban. One would think that would greatly reduce the number of new favorites I came across over the month, but one would be wrong.


Now before anyone gets up in arms over my breaking my spending ban let me state that I endured the whole month without buying one beauty product. I'm actually quite proud of myself but it wasn't always easy. Trust me, once Sephora's Black Friday sale hit I was really eyeing those $10 buys and cursing myself. But I prevailed! Huzzah! I did receive several new products in the mail that I won in Allure's August Free Stuff giveaway and some of them really rocked my world this past month.

Let's start with some hair care products that I highlighted on the blog earlier in November, the Dove Pure Care Dry Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. My hair has never felt smoother and softer than it did this month and this moisturizing combo played a big part in that. The other reason for my hair's silky transformation is ColorProof's CrazySmooth Extreme Shine Treatment Oil. It's a clear hair oil that offers heat and color protection while giving my hair frizz-free shine. I'm in love with both products and have been using them non-stop since receiving them in the mail.

Now there's one more product in my favorites that I won in Allure's giveaway and it's quite a doozy. I've been eyeing the Caudalie Beauty Elixir for quite some time, as it's been raved about and hyped to high heaven by beauty bloggers around the world. As much as people praised it, I honestly just didn't see the point. C'mon, $49 for a facial mist. There was no way it could be worth it. I mean, what does a facial mist really even do? "Refresh" your skin?

But I was shocked at the difference it made in my skin. After just a few days of casually spritzing it on after removing my makeup my skin looked clearer and smoother. I had less breakouts and my makeup even seemed to apply more evenly. The reason for this is that the "facial mist" is really part toner and part serum, with active plant ingredients that nourish your skin. It has a definitive grape and herbal scent that I'm really starting to enjoy. I'm definitely hooked on this stuff but I still don't know if I could ever justify spending $49 on it, though I could see myself buying the mini version ($18). If you're looking to pamper your skin a bit and have the money to spend I would highly recommend it and I think it would make a great gift.



Since I knew I was going to run out of eye cream during my spending ban I premptively purchased a new one from Amazon as a backup. I decided to give the Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Eye Treatment a try and I absolutely love it! It's the perfect creamy consistency that's not too oily or too watery and has a light peach tint that works to balance dark circles. I don't have issues with dryness throughout the day or my makeup creasing. I also feel like the fine lines under my eyes are less noticeable since I began using it. It's definitely my new favorite eye cream!

With winter weather comes pesky dry skin and my lips and hands have really been needing some extra moisture this past month. I've kept my beloved Soap & Glory Hand Food in my purse and reach for it daily to keep my hands soft and smelling like marshmallows. For my dry lips I've been relying on Nivea's Milk & Honey Lip Balm to hydrate and reduce chapping caused by the cold (and my nervous of biting my lips).

My final favorite was the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Concealer Treatment. It's an old favorite with a wonderfully smooth and light formula that really works on both dark circles and spots. It's also a great concealer for when you're short on time as it blends in easily. It's a fantastic drugstore option if you're in need of a new concealer.

That's it for November's Beauty favorites! What products have you all been loving lately?

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