February Favorites

"Favorites" posts/videos discuss the products (and other misc things) you loved for that month. The products can either be purchased that month or (old) "rediscovered" items. Favorites are published at the end of the current month or at the beginning of the following month.

CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer
This concealer is made for under the eyes; on me, it creased badly under the eyes.  But I use this everywhere else on my face it works great.  The concealer provides great coverage and it's swirled with Olay moisturizer; it's the most moisturizing concealer I've ever tried.

Prestige BrowPerfection Marbleized Brow Pencil
I was tired of paying $15 for my go-to brown pencil, MAC Fling, every few months.  I found this just for $4.00!  It works just as good, if not better than MAC. Unfortunately, it isn't mechanical.  However, it does have a lot more product compared to MAC. I really like that it's double ended pencil and brush; it makes filling in my eyebrows a lot faster.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer: Color Correcting Adjust
Lately, my face has had random red, blotchy spots.  I dislike foundation and it was getting to the point where I was caking on concealer.  I decided I needed to cancel out the redness rather than just attempting to cover it.  I used the original formula of Smashbox Photo Finish awhile back and liked it, so I decided to pick up the green one.  Originally, I purchased the smaller tube; I used it a few times and really liked it.  Although it's a lot more pricey, I realized the larger tube is a better value - so I returned the small one and purchased the larger one.  It's great at canceling out all the redness on my face, it minimizes pores, and it makes my face feel really silky smooth allowing a flawless makeup application.  The primer also acts a wind barrier, which is great for the cold weather.

green primer & swirled concealer,
-Kaitlyn

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January Favorites

"Favorites" posts/videos discuss the products (and other misc things) you loved for that month. The products can either be purchased that month or (old) "rediscovered" items. Favorites are published at the end of the current month or at the beginning of the following month.

Burt's Bees Beeswax + Soothing Lip Balm
Burt's Bees has never been a go-to for me.  I usually like anything with eucalyptus, so I decided to give this a try.  It doesn't smell (or taste) great... beeswax + menthol isn't a good combination.  But it makes my super dry, chapped lips feel so much better.

LUSH Ocean Salt Facial & Body Scrub
I've raved about this one too many times.  I haven't used this in a few months but I recently repurchased and fell in love all over again.  It smells amazing, feels cool, and leaves great results.

Macadamia Deep Repair Hair Masque
I've purchased (or received) the little sample packet frequently.  I had way too many Extrabucks at CVS, so I finally purchased the full-sized tub.  It effortlessly gets rid of all my tangles in the shower and it leaves my hair super soft and shiny.  It's a little pricey at $30 but it's worth it.

Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express Mascara
This mascara is definitely properly named; the volume is unbelievable, it's almost too much volume.  It's not a good lengthening mascara, but if you already have long lashes - definitely try this one out.

eucalyptus & volumized lashes,
-Kaitlyn

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2012 Beauty Favorites

Here are my favorites for 2012.  I can't believe I'm doing this post for a third year!  It was neat to look back on my favorites from 2010 and 2011 and compare them with the products I've used (or continued using) this year.

The products marked with - means it is a type of product that I do not use, or I just didn't find a miracle product for the year.  The products followed by * means it was my favorite for both 2011 and 2012.

These are all products I have used continuously through out the year.  I have repurchased most of these or I will in the future.  I have recommended them to friends and family, and I recommend them to you.

Makeup

Blush: Tarte Amazonian Clay Long-Wear Blush in Tipsy
Bronzer: NARS Laguna*
Brush: -
Concealer: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer Treatment
Eyebrows: MAC Brow Pencil in Fling
Eyelash Curler: -
Eyeliner: MAC Technakohl in Graph Black*
Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
Eyeshadow Primer/Base: NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
Foundation: -
Highlight: Bootycall Eyeshadow (from Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette)
Lipgloss: -
Lipstick: Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle
Mascara: CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara
Nail polish: OPI Pink Flamenco
Powder: Revlon Photoready
Tool: Sonia Kashuk Metal Eyelash Comb
Top Coat Polish: Seche Vite*

High End Brand: NARS
Drugstore Brand: Revlon*

Body

Bath Product: -
Body Exfoliator: LUSH Ocean Salt Facial & Body Scrub*
Body Lotion: -
Cuticle Cream: Sephora Healing Eucalyptus Cuticle Oil
Nail Tool: Sephora Glass Nail File
Nail Polish Remover: Zoya Remove Plus
Fake Tanner: -
Foot Cream: Bath & Body Works Shea it isn't So Foot Cream*
Hand Cream: Soap & Glory Hand Food
Perfume: Stella by Stella McCartney*
Shower Gel: -
Soap: Dove Sensitive Skin*
Teeth Whitening: -

Haircare

Conditioner:Joico K-Pak*
Electrical: -
Hair Dye: John Frieda Precision Foam Hair Colour
Hairspray: -
Mask: Macadamia Deep Repair Masque
Miracle Product: It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Spray
Shampoo: Organix Acai Berry Avocado Shampoo

Skincare
Exfoliator: LUSH Ocean Salt Facial & Body Scrub*
Eye Product: -
Cleanser/Makeup Remover: Clinique Take the Day Off
Facial mask: Freeman Facial Clay Mask Avocado & Oatmeal
Lip Treatment: -
Moisturizer: Orgins Vitazing*
Toner: Clinique Clarifying Lotion

here's to the best,
-Kaitlyn

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Holiday Haul

I'm a nosy person and always enjoy watching "What I Got for Christmas" YouTube videos and reading blog posts, so I figured I'd share a few of the items I acquired over the month of December.

This year, I spent Christmas at my parent's house. I grew up without a fireplace, finally seeing my stocking hung properly was so nice.

It's tradition for us to receive new pajamas on Christmas eve.

My sisters know I'm into beauty products.  I received a Joico K-Pak gift set and homemade candy cane facial scrub from them.

My "big" present from Santa was a heated blanket.  I've been wanting one for awhile.  I usually stay cold and hate sleeping in a lot of layers or thick clothes so this blanket is so perfect.  Being warm helps me go to sleep a lot faster.

After Christmas is usually when all the stores offer their deals so I took advantage of the sales and got a lot of new clothes.  From BCBG, I purchased two sweaters, a shirt, leggings, and a $5 canvas tote which is probably my favorite purchase.  I'll most likely use this as my school bag next semester.

H&M had a really great sale.  Since I don't have a H&M in my city, I went a little crazy.  I mostly picked up basic layering pieces and accessories. This $15 peplum dress was the best deal.

I've been eyeing the Target + Neiman Marcus collection ever since it hit stores on December 1st.  However, I didn't think the low-quality materials with the designer labels matched the high price tags.  But after Christmas when everything finally went on sale I grabbed a few pieces.  With Target gift cards, I purchased the Marc Jacobs black scarf, and Proenza Schouler sweatshirt & iPad sleeve.

As for cosmetics, I only purchased one thing.  Unfortunately, the LUSH Cosmetics store in my city closed, so I definitely had to purchase my favorite facial scrub: LUSH Ocean Salt.  I don't have a free-standing MAC store near me, so I made sure to pack all of my empties for the Back 2 MAC program.  I much prefer eyeshadows over lipsticks (Counters only offer lipstick trade-ins.)  I choose the colors All that Glitters and Charcoal Brown.

I've heard some people treat themselves to a new item for the first of the year... maybe as a good luck charm or something to remind them self of a fresh start.  I liked the idea and decided to do the same this year.  Since my Michael Kors purse is over a year old and nearly falling apart, I knew I was going to have to purchase a new purse soon anyway.  I purchased the Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C. in black with silver hardware.  It can be carried three ways, has a lot of organizing compartments, and best of all: it's much larger than I was expecting and can definitely hold all the necessities.

pajamas & Christmas sales,
-Kaitlyn

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December Favorites

"Favorites" posts/videos discuss the products (and other misc things) you loved for that month. The products can either be purchased that month or (old) "rediscovered" items. Favorites are published at the end of the current month or at the beginning of the following month.

Aquaphor
I forgot how much I liked Aquaphor.  I traveled over the holiday and the 40-something-tempature I was used to, changed to around 10 degrees.  Needless to say, my skin freaked out.  Aquaphor is great for any part of your body.  I mainly use it on my lips and feet.  It's a little greasy but supplies a lot of moisture.

Caudalie Lip Conditioner
I purchased this lip conditioner and a travel size cleansing water on sale (duo set - $8.00) at Sephora.  Since the lip conditioner is $12.00 on its own, I thought it was a great deal and I've been wanting to try Caudalie products for awhile.  This lip conditioner really reminds me of MAC's Lip Conditioner in scent and texture but Caudalie's wears a little bit longer.  I also really like the fact it's in the shape of a lipstick rather than a chapstick.

Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Cleansing Wipes
I've always been a fan of Olay, but I drifted away to other brands.  When Nicole raved about these wipes, I added them to my beauty wish list and purchased them as soon as I was out of my beloved Neutrogena Night Calming Wipes.  I really like the Olay wipes - they're textured and seem to get a lot more makeup off than the Neutrogena wipes.  They smell great.  Best of all, you get 30 wipes compared to most brands than usually only sell 15-25 per package.

Girls
Since I've been on winter break, I've had a lot more free time than usual and decided to watch a few different television series.  My favorite out of the few I've watched has been Girls.  In some ways, It reminds me of Sex and the City for the average Joe.  It's so funny and relatable because the majority of the things and plots in the show could actually happen to you in real life.  Get ready to laugh and cry in the same episode. There are only ten 30-minute episodes in Season 1, so you could easily catch up in no time.  Season 2 airs January 13th.  I'm very impressed with Lena Dunham's writing, directing, and acting.  The soundtrack is pretty great, too.

laughing & crying,
-Kaitlyn

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