Wednesday, March 5, 2014

February 2014 Favorites: Beauty&Random!

At the end of every month, we all tend to sit back and wonder where the time went. But this month, despite being the shortest of the year, I felt wasn't particularly slow or fast, but pretty average. That being said, I did discover some awesome stuff this year, so now is the time to share!


Skincare/Body Products

  • Borghese Fango Active Mud for Face and Body: I've talked about this before and never stopped loving it, but in the past I've only used this on my nose, which is where I suffer most from blackheads. I've been struggling with acne around my temples lately, and since this mask is for clearing gunk from your pores, I figured I'd use it on the breakouts and see how it went. Well, it was pretty amazing. It helps breakouts fantastically, so I now use this on my nose and chin as well as around my temples where I break out the most often. 
  • The Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter: I bought this back in August, wanting to try a different scent after using the vanilla and not liking the smell. This thing seriously smells amazing, so amazing, in fact, that I shied away from really using it. Boy, was that stupid! I use this after I shower on my legs and arms (especially on my legs after I shave) and it makes me feel smooth and smell delicious and I love it. 
  • Laura Mercier Creme Brulle Hand Cream: I ordered this product in September, and because of the hefty price tag (2oz for $15...yikes!) Only used it a few times on special occasions, and I forgot how lovely it smelled. This moisturizes my hands beautifully and I use a dime-sized amount before bed every night, and I think the smell alone is worth a repurchase. 

Hair Care:
  • Garnier Triple Nutrition 3-Minute Undo Dryness Reversal Treatment: I'm picky with haircare brands, so when the Aussie 3-Minute Miracle came out, I was intrigued by the concept but wary of the brand. I trust Garnier (most of my product comes from them), so when my mom gave me this guy, I was excited! I have dry hair and using this once a week makes my hair soft, shiny, smooth, and definitely frizz-free. 
  • Beauty Protector Protect&Oil: I got this in my February Birchbox and it's wonderful. First off, it smells like the fragrance Pink Sugar, which is a widely-loved favorite. Secondly, it works wonders on my ends. I work a dime-sized amount onto the ends of my hair before blow drying, and it not only makes my hair super soft, but prevents breakage. Full size when this is out? Definitely

Makeup:
  • Arbonne Sheer Pressed Powder: This is one of my favorite powders, and definitely my favorite high-end powder. It prevents creasing and wear from my foundation/concealer, looks natural, and the packaging is beautiful. Plus, the sponge is comes with is fantastic (and I usually hate included applicators!). All in all, a definite favorite for February. 
  • Milani Eye Shadow in Heavenly Pink: Milani discontinued this line of powder shadows, but I'm including this anyway because of the color. For school, I typically just wear concealer, powder, and a little bit of brow pencil, and then I take a fluffy brush and sweep this on my brow bone and in my inner corner. The pink-toned matte shade brightens my eyes and cancels out any darkness, plus looks natural and stays all day. Love!
  • NYX Powder Blush in Terracotta: I picked this out originally for my grandma, but when I realized she wasn't using it, took it back and fell in love. It's a beautiful, shimmery, neutral, peachy-bronze (a true Terracotta...hey, NYX got a name accurate!) that acts as a one sweep powder. It adds a flush while highlighting my cheekbones and adding a bronze tint to my complexion. This product is great for a girl rushing to get ready in the morning. 
  • Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla and Macadamia Kiss: I've talked out the Nivea Lip Butters before, but I keep this one by my bed and have used it so much I can practically see the pan on the bottom. This scent is my favorite, and the whole line is moisturizing and delicious, not to mention affordable. 
  • Skylark Sophia Lip Gloss: I finally got a hold of the Skylark gloss duo (thanks to some reward points on JustFab.com) and I must say they are lovely (review coming soon). I've been gravitating towards Sophia because of the color, but the formulation of these is smooth and lovely as well. 
  • Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Plum: I envy those daring enough to rock a deep, dark lip color. I generally stuck to neutral and light tones because I'm far from gutsy enough for anything different, but this color has been amazing this month. I wore it almost every time I did a full face of makeup and it complemented my complexion nicely. My one regret? Winter is almost over and I'll have to go back to the peachy-pinks and shimmery nudes. 

Nail Polish
  • China Glaze Secret Periwinkle: This is an under-talked about color if I've ever seen one. It's a beautiful, light blue-purple (a true Periwinkle) with amazing application, pigmentation, and lasting power. My nail polish tends to chip very quickly, but this one stayed on for almost five days with minimal damage. 
  • COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Brilliant in Peaches and Cream: This is similar to Essie's Van'dgo, which is one of my all time favorites, except it's more on the peachy side of peachy-pink. Again, the application of this was wonderful, and although it took me three coats, turned out very opaque and lasted a long time with not a lot of chipping. 
Fragrance and Brushes: 
  • Bath and Body Works Winter Candy Apple: I know this scent appears every year with their Christmas line, but it's really not "festive" to my nose. This smells like crisp and clean apples, which is very light and refreshing. I like this for an every day body mist, and I'll use this until the last of the snow is gone (which, in my case, might take a while!)
  • Sephora Precise Natural Powder Brush (121): I got this brush on clearance at Sephora for $11 (the original with the red handle being $38) and it's amazing for applying blush. The bristles are soft and it blends the color in nicely. I love! 



Fashion
  • JustFab Saving Grace Necklace: I've been admiring this bar style necklace for a few months, and when I bought the featured boots, they had a deal for certain jewelry pieces being only $1.95, so I snatched this one up when I saw it. It's cute and sparkly and is just...simple, which I adore. 
  • JustFab Maizie Boots: I've been looking for the perfect ankle boot for a while, and I think I've found them. These are comfortable, simply (I'm not a fan of boots with too many frills) and best of all, have silver hardware, which I prefer! I've warn them almost every single day since I got them.
Random
  • Clinique Apple Pouch: I took this from my grandparents' house and came up with the perfect use for it: feminine hygiene products. I keep two pads on me at all times in my backpack (I used to keep one, but then gave it away just two period before my friend came to visit), and having them in a little cute pouch like this is just nicer than having everyone see when you zip open the pocket. Plus, they're a perfect fit. TMI? Oh well!
  • John Green's Paper Towns: I've read this book before, but reread in this month while bored one day. And when I say this month, I mean, I read this in about five hours. I feel as if John Green is known only for Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, both of which are incredible, but his other books (Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines, Will, Grayson, Will Grayson, and Let it Snow) are just as amazing. This book has such a great story line and I highly recommend it. 
  • Bigelow Ginger Snappish Ginger Herb Tea: Drinking tea has a countless number of health benefits, and while I will always prefer coffee, ginger tea has become a new daily staple of mine. I especially love this brand, especially with some Sugar in the Raw and Caramel Macchiato coffee creamer. 
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine: My new favorite show, and I do hope they'll do a season two! Starring Andy Samberg as a detective in the 99th precinct in Brooklyn, it's a comedic cop show (something new and different) and I literally laugh out loud every single time I watch it. Plus, I love Andy Samberg. 
That is everything (I hope) and if you stuck it out until the end, thank you very much! I hope you all have a great March!

What was your favorite product of February?
xoxo
Alyssa

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