The month of December was a bit odd beauty-wise for me, between illnesses and holiday parties. I started off the month without any real stand-out favorites but Christmas brought me some new loves to obsess over. Here are some of the products that ruled my beauty routine in December.
MAKEUP
For the majority of December my makeup was fairly consistent, without any real stand-out gems. I didn't try any new bases or concealers and regularly switched between the ones I already have based on my mood. I did take to using my Real Techniques Setting Brush to blend in my concealer. It's really the perfect size and shape for dabbing concealer into place without removing the product or forcing it into creases.
On my eyes I've been loving the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded. It has a thin, lightweight texture and a beautiful champagne glow that make it the perfect slap-on-and-go eye-shadow. This would also make a fantastic cream highlight in a pinch!
For the lips there are two new finds which I've been switching back and forth between—Rimmel London's Exaggerate Lip Liner in Eastend Snob and Maybelline's Color Elixir in Caramel Infused. The Rimmel liner gives you a more full-on look when worn all over the lips, and its dusky pink color and texture make lips look dramatically fuller. The Color Elixir is a beautiful, peachy-pink gloss that looks incredibly fresh and natural on the lips, without any stickiness. The triangular doe-foot applicator makes applying without a mirror a breeze.
SKINCARE
My skin has been a bit iffy lately, what with a bout of illness that kept me in bed for a few days and general poor eating around the holidays. To clear my skin back up, I've relied on my Foreo Luna Mini, a sonic cleansing device, to take my cleansing routine to the next level. Unlike your traditional facial cleansing brush, the Luna Mini has soft silicone touch-points which are gentler and much more hygienic than nylon bristles. The sonic pulses not only give you a deeper clean but feel like a mini facial massage.
The device also only takes about an hour to charge, with one charge lasting for 300 uses, meaning I didn't have to charge the Luna Mini all month! For those of you wondering if sonic cleansing brushes are really worth it, I can honestly tell you that I notice a change in my skin's clarity and texture after just a week of consistent use and my skin improves greatly through constant use for extended periods of time.
BODY
This past month I tried out The Body Shop's Wild Argan Oil Shower Gel and it's found its way into my shower routine. It has a clean, simple scent that is unobtrusive and produces a good amount of suds. Plus, you get the benefits of using argan oil without any sort of oily residue being left on the skin.
With the colder weather and seasonal sniffles, I've started to get more into taking baths. It's so soothing and relaxing to sink into a foaming tub of the hottest water my skin can stand and just decompress a bit. To clear out my sinuses and add a bit of bubbles to the party I've been using Dr. Teal's Foaming Vapor Bath. It really helps me unwind.
HAIR
In December, thanks to a magnificent stocking stuffer from my sister-in-law, I discovered the dry shampoo that dreams are made of—Amika's Perk Up Dry Shampoo. I'm dead serious. It's the best dry shampoo I've ever tried. No powdery white residue whatsoever. You spray it onto your roots and with just a few swipes of your fingers through your hair it's refreshed! My second-day hair is usually flat and misshapen with a bit of excess oil at the roots and this has made it feel clean, bouncy and revived and better than my hair ever looks on a dirty hair day. It's lightweight, clear and actually leaves hair feeling less greasy and soft without that thick, gunky feel that even the best dry shampoos seem to have. And since it's made without aluminum or talc it's less likely to irritate sensitive scalps. Plus, it smells amazing to boot! Honestly, this is the ULTIMATE dry shampoo.
Did you receive any beauty products for Christmas that have been rocking your world? Do you prefer baths or showers?
No comments