Wows & Blahs / 2010

My last post of 2010...I wanted this post to be a summary of products that just amazed me. I was initially going to list everything from my favorite mascara to foundation to shampoo and every product in between. But then I felt like it wouldn't be a favorites post but rather a holy grail products post (which I will blog about one of these days) 2010 was not the year of only amazing and wonderful products, I had a few disappointments here and there! I thought now is the perfect time to talk about those too! :)

//Wows...

Revlon Photo Ready

I always say: This foundation was made for me! Gives the perfect coverage, a flawless "photo-ready" finish, stays on until I take it off!

Illamasqua Lover, NARS Lovejoy, Benefit Hoola

Without a doubt, Illamasqua Lover has been my go to blush ever since I purchased it earlier this year. Funny how much I use it and I still haven't hit pan on it! Then, not too long ago, I met NARS Lovejoy and it's become one of my top blushes ever. They are two different colors so I can't even compare them. I love them both! Hoola is an amazing matte bronzing powder that gives the most perfect tan to my face without looking fake.

e.l.f. Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder, N.Y.C. Blushable Creme Stick

This e.l.f. duo is seriously high-end quality. I use both shades as blush and I occasionally use the bronze shade for contouring. This duo has been compared to the original, NARS one and it's pretty darn close for fraction of the price of the NARS duo! N.Y.C. blushable creme sticks have been a total hit in the beauty community this year and I gotta agree with the hype! I am not big on cream blushes because it can be such a hassle to blend them! With these blush sticks there is no hassle. They are super creamy, blend very easily and have great pigmentation and color pay-off! They layer beautifully under powder blushes and because of the packaging they are super easy throw in your purse.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palettes

I think Wet n Wild has made a come-back this year with their Color Icon palettes! People have been crazy over finding these palettes and I can't blame anyone! Most colors in these palettes have amazing pigmentation with the exception of one sometimes two shades. The palettes are quite cheap but for their price they are of very good quality!

e..l.f. Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter, L'oreal Voluminous, Milani Liquif'eye Eyeliners

This e.l.f. concealer and highlighter duo helps instantly brighten my under eye area to make me look less tired and more awake! I use the highlighter side right on top of where I applied the concealer for an extra oomph! Voluminous deserves the best mascara of the year award as it's got everything I look for in a mascara. It's defining, lengthening, volumizing! I haven't really found anything that compares to it! Milani Liquif'eye eye liner pencils got quite a bit of attention from me this year! I would like to compare them to Urban Decay 24/7 pencils but Liquif'eye ones just don't cause raccoon eyes and UD ones usually do.

Revlon Soft Nude, OCC Liptar in Cha Cha

I have a lot of favorite lipsticks, mostly from MAC. I would have never expected Revlon to be the next big thing for me in terms of lipsticks. But it was! Thank you Revlon for uniting me with this beautiful and amazing nude lipstick! It just has great formulation, is moisturizing with great pigmentation. I had never heard of lip tars until my discovery of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. I just love the idea of "tars" because they combine the advantages of lipsticks AND lip glosses.

St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Scrub, Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

Another amazing product from the drugstore! For my skin, it really does what the packaging says it does. It helps clear breakouts. Obviously you cannot expect any product to clear up your breakout overnight. But for me, this green tea scrub comes pretty close. It helps speed up the process of the clearing. I also really love it's scent. It's not green-tea like but to me it smells more like green apples! Lush's Bubblegum scrub has helped my lips a lot especially during these winter months. I love the way it smells so much I use it more often than I need. It really helps scrub away dead skin from my lips and leaves them looking and feeling super smooth.

//Blahs...

Maybelline Falsies

It just didn't work for me. If I would be looking for a spider leg eyelash look, however, this would be the mascara I would definitely resort to. I think the name "Falsies" was a bit too daring for this mascara, has anyone even tested it before they put it out in the market? I highly doubt it.

L'oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense

I actually loved this popular eyeliner in the beginning. Obviously I wasn't checking my face too much in the mirror while wearing it. I accidentally looked at a mirror one day and what do I see?? I only have half of my lid lined! In summary, this eyeliner, while looking good at first, migrates horribly. I just need something that is a bit more stubborn and has a better staying power!

L'oreal go 360 Clean Deep Exfoliating Scrub

This scrub was talked about quite a bit. To see what the hype is all about, I purchased it. Then I regretted it when one day it dried up my whole forehead area and gave me nasty looking flakes. Apparently it was too drying for my skin. Also the little scrublet thing doesn't do much as once you start working with it, it gets all soapy and slippery.

Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes

While on the hunt for new makeup removing wipes, I saw this bright green packaging and couldn't help but buy it. I really wanted to like them but meh...First of all they do not have a pleasant cucumber smell, it smells rather bitter if that makes sense. More importantly they do not take off mascara and/or eyeliner (liquid or gel) unless you scrub the heck out of your eye area which nobody would or should do! MOST importantly they leave the skin super sticky hence gross. Why should I bother using these wipes if I will afterwards feel like washing my whole face? Big thumbs down for this product.

***

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, joyous, peaceful and fabulous 2011!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Happy New Year!!!! ♥

December Favorites

Do you all agree that this year has gone by insanely fast? It's hard to believe that we'll be in 2011 so soon!

Here are my favorite products of December...

Revlon Lipstick in Fabulous Fig

I have found this lipstick on my quest to finding the perfect red lipstick by accident. I love accidents that lead to something precious like Fabulous Fig lipstick. It's a color I would normally not even look at but after doing a quick search for it's swatches, I instantly fell in love with it. You know the rest... I would describe it as a brownish red which surprisingly looks great with my complexion. Finally something other than a nude or pink!

Victoria's Secret Lipstick in Celebutante

Celebutante is one of my newest lipsticks that quickly became one of my favorites. I do occasionally wear Celebutante alone but I seem to enjoy wearing it under Maybelline's Pink Please a lot more! I love the creamy, pinky-nude color they create together.

Sigma Angled Top Kabuki Brush - F84

If I had to use one word to describe this brush, it would be nothing other than 'AMAZING'! I bought this wonderful brush not too long ago after reading about it on Twitter (thank you Twitter for all your enablings!) I had been looking for a blush brush and couldn't bring myself to spend more than 20 bucks for one so this was perfect as it only costs $16! F84 is one of Sigma's 3 new Sigmax brushes and it's incredibly soft. I absolutely love the way it picks up blush and how it accurately places it on my face. I get the same color on my cheek as it's in the pan! It's so easy to blend with also. I can never be without this brush, so glad I have found it!

 Shu Uemura Painting Liner

I was upset over my Wet n Wild gel liner drying up into this little ball so I had to toss it. I've been hearing really good things about Shu Uemura's painting liners and while they are on the more expensive side, I caved and went for it. I am truly amazed by this gel liner. I wear it on my upper and lower lid as well as waterline and it does not smudge throughout the day, it's my current go-to gel liner!

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

After finishing my last NYC Sunny bronzer, I started using Hoola and it's really not anything like I used before. It gives off the perfect tan color, doesn't contain any shimmer/glitter in other words it's matte. I love that it goes on smooth and not muddy. It looks very natural, I'm hooked!

Barry M Blusher in Terracotta

It's a matte, brown-red/terracotta (hence the name) shade that's just perfect for the season! I've been using it almost daily in December!

Too Faced Natural Eye

This Too Faced palette has been my go-to palette for sometime now! There is nothing I don't love about it, from pigmentation to texture of these eye shadows everything has been great. I also love that none of these colors crease and the color pay off is amazing! My most-used/favorite colors are Silky Teddy, Push-up and Cocoa Puff.

Urban Decay eye-shadow in Half Baked

I don't wear too much gold on my lids but wearing it on lower lash line is something I do quite a bit! And I think Half Baked is perfect for this purpose. It makes the eyes look just sparkly and beautiful! Works great when your eyes are neutral but you wanna add a little somethin' somethin', that's have I usually wear it :) If you have the Naked palette Half Baked is in there, I had bought Half Baked way before Naked palette was made, as you can see I use it so much it broke :)

"Two Faced"

I hope I don't get dirty looks for saying this but I think I love this Too Faced palette a bit more than my Naked palette. I had been insanely looking for the Naked palette and was absolutely obsessed with it once I was able to get my hands on it but then I rediscovered my Natural Eye palette! I guess that makes me TWO FACED?? I am actually pretty new to Too Faced as I have only used their Lash Injection mascara and Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder. I had always adored their cute packaging and a great selection of products at Sephora so I decided to give this palette a go and I am so impressed!

The palette comes housed in a sleeve which you see on the left. It includes a total of nine eye-shadows which are a mix of matte, shimmery and super-shimmery/glittery. There is a little pull-put drawer which holds a double-ended applicator brush which I don't think was such a necessity. However, I bet you anything there would be upset consumers if Too Faced didn't include this drawer. Hard to please everyone! I personally do not ever really use these applicators.

I love these how-to cards that are tucked under the palette's lid. I think this is a great product for someone who is just starting out with make-up so they can utilize these cards to create beautiful looks. Of course you can get creative and use the eye shadows however you like, there are no limitations in make-up!

Flash

No Flash

I believe Too Faced eye shadows are the softest eye shadows I have ever touched. They really feel like velvet! Because of their super smooth and buttery texture, they apply like a dream and blend very easily! Pigmentation is amazing with the exception of Nude Beach due to it's super chunky glittery texture. With this color there will be fall-out so it must be applied using caution. Nude Beach goes really well layered on top of matte eye shadows, in other words, you can go from day-to-night really easily with it! As I do with any eye-shadow application, I use my Urban Decay Primer Potion as my base under these eye-shadows and I have not experienced any creasing whatsoever. I have semi-oily eyelids, I guess just as much as an average person's, I'm happy to say that they last all day on my lids!

Natural Sunlight

 
DAY

Heaven - Matte/Cream
Velvet Revolver - Matte/Soft taupe (similar to MAC Omega)
Sexpresso - Matte/Dark Brown

CLASSIC
Silk Teddy - Shimmery/Pink-champagne
Push-up - Shimmery/Gold brown
Erotica - Shimmery/Plummy Taupe

FASHION
Nude Beach - Glittery/Champagne
Honey Pot -Shimmery Gold
Cocoa Puff - Shimmery/Chocolate Brown with gold flecks

I am so happy that I bought this palette! I have been so blinded by Urban Decay's Naked palette that I had totally forgot about Natural Eye. It's great that I rediscovered it and loving it more often these days! If you're interested, it retails for $35 at Sephora, Ulta & Toofaced.com.

Do you own Natural Eye? What do you think about Too Faced products?

Cute Pink Packaging

When I see it I just cannot help myself. Probably if all the not-so-good make-up products out there were presented to me in pink packaging I would have wanted and bought them all! (Silly me!) Well, looks like Victoria's Secret and I think alike. Except these limited edition holiday products adorned in the cutest pink packaging are of superb quality!

I am not new to VS make-up. I've been loving and using their cosmetics for years and have never been let down by any. From eye shadows, to blushes, everything I've used has been nothing short of amazing! So when I saw these babies on Jo's blog (and much thanks to the person who blogged about them before her :)) I knew that I had to check them out in person!

Some of you may know that I've been looking for a highlighter but just haven't been able to make up my mind! When I saw swatches of Love Glow Radiant Face Trio , I knew it'd be perfect for this purpose. I already love it! It has just the right amount of shimmer and gives a really nice glow (which is kind of hard to capture in photos as you will see below, I tried!). It retails for $16.

Celebutante retails for $14 and is a gorgeous nude lipstick. I feel like I'm always reaching for either nudes or pinks so I wanted to check out the other colors first. I just didn't feel the red or the pink so what's a girl to do? Go nude!

 To my surprise Celebutante applies like a dream as opposed to most of the super drying nude lipsticks out in the market. It's creamy and has a glossy finish so no need for lip gloss! I would say the color lasts for a good couple of hours.

Wearing Love Glow & Celebutante

My eye make-up consists of:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Pots and Pans all over lid

Urban Decay Creep e/s on top of Pots & Pans

Urban Decay Hustle e/s on crease, on lower lash line

Urban Decay Toasted e/s to blend Creep & Hustle

Urban Decay Virgin e/s on brow bone

Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eyeliner on waterline 

L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

I had no idea that products from this holiday collection were 2/$25 until I got to the Victoria's Secret store, I always love a good deal! I'm really happy with my purchase, I think they are of top quality but I have to be honest the adorable packaging definitely played a great role in my purchase!

Lipstick Lovin'

I have a confession...I am actually not a huge lipstick person. I mean of course I love lipsticks, but I've always been more of an eye-shadow girl. Every time I swing by MAC, I can't help but buy eye-shadow pans in 3s but I don't think I've ever purchased 3 lipsticks of any brand at once! For that reason, I've never done a favorite lipsticks post although I've done a favorite pink lipsticks post a while ago when I was going through a pink lipstick phase. The lovely Tiffany gave me this idea the other day and I thought why not! :)

L-R:

Revlon Soft Nude, Maybelline Pink Please, MAC Jazzed, NYX Pumpkin Pie

MAC Angel, Wet N Wild Just Peachy, MAC Blankety

MAC Viva Glam Gaga, MAC Peachstock, MAC Shy Girl, NARS Roman Holiday

L-R: Maybelline Pink Please, NARS Roman Holiday, MAC Angel

Maybelline Pink Please: Mid-toned milky/baby pink

Nars Roman Holiday: Cool mid-toned pink

MAC Angel - Pale rosy pink 

L-R: MAC Peachstock, Wet N Wild 903C, MAC Blankety

MAC Peachstock: Peachy nude

Wet N Wild Just Peachy: Peachy pink

MAC Blankety: Nude pinky beige

L-R: NYX Pumpkin Pie, MAC Shy Girl, Revlon Soft Nude

NYX Pumpkin Pie: Warm coral-y pink

MAC Shy Girl: Warm Coral-y beige

Revlon Soft Nude: Peach-y nude

MAC Viva Glam Gaga & MAC Jazzed

MAC Viva Glam Gaga: Cool-toned bubblegum pink

MAC Jazzed: Semi-warm peachy coral

Maybelline Pink Please, NARS Roman Holiday, MAC Angel

MAC Peachstock, Wet n Wild Just Peachy, MAC Blankety

NYX Pumpkin Pie, MAC Shy Girl, Revlon Soft Nude

MAC Viva Glam Gaga, MAC Jazzed

Products I'm Loving Right Now

Hey everyone!

I've been seeing this tag quite a bit. I've just read Stavroula's post on this and thought I'd do one too! I think it's a fun tag and it's great if you wanna blog about something and don't know what...now you know! I tag everyone who wants to do it, I love reading these kinds of posts! :)

Face

Cleanser: Origins Checks & Balance Frothy Face Wash

Toner/lotion: Açaí Damage-Protecting Toning Mist

Cream/moisturizer: Origins A Perfect World SPF25

Facial mask: Queen Helene Mint Julep Face Masque

Exfoliator: St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Scrub

Face make-up remover: Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

Eye make-up remover: EVOO + H2O

Body

Shower gels/soaps:  C.O. Bigelow Lemon Cream Body Wash (LOVE)

Body lotions/creams: Victoria's Secret Coconut Passion

Body Exfoliator: C.O. Bigelow Lemon & Pomegranate Body Scrub

Hand cream: Neutrogena Norweigan Formula Hand Cream

Lip balm or lip treatment: Nivea Milk & Honey, EOS

Perfume: Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy, Calvin Klein Euphoria, Armani Code

Deodorant: Dove Ultimate Beauty Care Original Clean

Hair

Shampoo/Conditioner: The Body Shop Banana Shampoo & Conditioner

Mask: Redken Smooth Down Butter Treat

Make-up

Primer: Don't use one

Foundation: Revlon Photo Ready (usually with a pump of MAC Studio Fix Fluid)

Concealer: Benefit Erase Paste + elf Concealer/ Highlighter duo + MAC Studio Finish

Powder: MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Medium Plus

Blush: NARS Lovejoy, Illamasqua Lover

Bronzer: NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny

Lipstick: MAC Angel & Shy Girl

Lipgloss: Sally Hansen Diamond 12 Hour Lip Treatment in Princess

Eyeshadow: MAC Grain & Patina

Eyeliner: Liquid - L'oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense, Pencil - Milani Liquif'eye in Black

Eyeshadow primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion

Eyelash curler: Don't use one

Mascara: L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black

Need to Conceal

I used to never really use concealers until I started blogging. I thought what for, I'm young, I don't have dark circles etc. Turns out you don't have to fall into either category to use concealers or at least this is what I believe. Using them can immediately make tired eyes look more awake and just make skin smoother over all when foundation alone is not enough. After I started blogging, I became such a devoted concealer-er that I even use different concealers for different areas on my face! Here are some of my favorites that I can never be without :)

   Benefit Erase Paste (No 2 Medium)

This is my oldest concealer which I thought was awesome until I discovered MAC's Studio Fix Concealer which I will get to in a second. I used to use Erase Paste for pretty much everything from brightening up my under eye area to cover up blemishes to my nose area. However after a while, I began seeing it settle in the fine lines I have on under my eyes even after setting with powder, which didn't look too pretty. I then started using it on blemishes but it wasn't such a great color match. There are only 3 shades of the Erase Paste and this was the closest to my skin color. I use Erase Paste down the sides of my nose because of all the 3 I have, it does the best job concealing there. I have realized MAC Studio Finish concealer makes my pores near my nose appear larger so I resort to Erase Paste which only conceals :)

    e.l.f. Studio Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter (Glow/Light)

I bought this elf concealer on a whim at Target before having tried any elf product, ever! Pretty bold purchase from a brand you've never used before huh? The fact that it was more liquid than I thought it would be kind of scared me in the beginning. Later I realized I just needed two little dots to have full coverage, so little goes a loooooong way! Don't be fooled by it's $3 price tag because it's just as amazing as high-end concealers if not better! In this case,we can apply the 'it's not the quantity, it's the quality' theory! It is perfect for my under eye concealing needs though I don't have that much to conceal. It really smooths out the fine lines without settling in them and creates such a flawless look. The concealer side alone does a good job brightening this area. However I also like to dab a bit of the highlighter side for optimum results. I did pick this concealer up in a shade lighter (Glow/Light) than my skin tone to achieve an obviously lighter look under my eyes. Therefore I can't really use it on other areas on my face because it would be just too light.

    MAC Studio Finish Concealer (NW 30)

MAC has done it again! I'm sure I'm one of the last people to use this concealer and I can't believe I have not tried it sooner. While at my local MAC one day, I had a make-up artist apply some on my face just to see what it's all about. She applied it right under my eyes and it was all good but after coming home I saw my under eye lines looking worse than they did before having this concealer applied. It has unfortunately creased! I knew it just wasn't going to work in this area. So now I use it on my skin discolorations, pimples and anything I want to conceal on the rest of my face. If the zit isn't a huge one, this concealer will make it almost invisible. If it's a huge one above the surface, obviously there is nothing that can be done about that, good luck to me! As I have mentioned above, it also does make my pores on the sides of my nose appear larger than they are, so it's a no-no for sides of my nose!

Hard to believe I'm using all these different shades of concealers!

For Erase Paste and MAC concealers I use my little elf brush you can see in the top photo. For elf concealer I just use my ring finger to blend it in.

I'm happy with all of my concealers! They all seem to do a fantastic job in their own little ways. I have yet to find a concealer that combines all three of them and does everything, does it even exist? I did try the Amazing concealer to see if it lived up to all the hype, and for me it didn't!

Do you use a concealer? If so, what's your favorite one?

Hello Glitter!

I think we all know by now that glittery nail polishes are one of the current nail trends these days. I have seen especially chunky gold and silver ones from nearly all brands! I was never really a fan of glittery nail polishes until this year! Some of you who follow me on Twitter may know, not too long ago I spotted elf's holiday collection which basically consists of ready-to-gift stuff. Though everything looked very attractive I skipped. Recently while at my local supermarket I couldn't resist going to the aisle where they had elf stuff just for the heck of it! To my surprise they still had quite a bit of boxes left. So I picked up this box of nail polish trio which screams holidays! 

While I was experimenting with these nail polishes, a light bulb lit in my head. About a week ago, I picked up this Revlon nail polish in Powder Puff, fully aware that it's in Matte Suede finish. Now, when I think of nail polish, I think gloss, shine...something to make nails gorgeous! I knew what I was getting when purchasing this nail polish. I was going to try and make it work by applying top coat. It does look very pretty with top coat on. The color itself has that pearly blueness to it but I would definitely not wear it just by itself. 

So I did...

Revlon Powder Puff + e.l.f. Golden Goddess ( Twinkle on pinky!)

I applied 2 coats of Powder Puff to my nails and then 2 coats of elf's Golden Goddess. I have found that 2 coats of each still doesn't result in glossy nails so I topped them off with a top coat. I love the outcome! I realize 5 coats of any nail polish is a bit too much, surprisingly it took much less to dry than I expected though!

I also tried Powder Puff with elf's Twinkle (on my pinkie) which is also very pretty! The only difference between the two is that Golden Goddess has bigger round glitters and Twinkle has smaller ones. The third color in the trio is called Cranberry. I honestly didn't think it would be anything special but I love this color as well! It is a cranberry color with tiny red glitters in it! My favorite of all 3 is obviously the gold one! I can't imagine the number of possibilities using these nail polishes with others! Both the gold and silver ones can be used over maaaaaany different colors. This was a great and a very reasonably priced purchase. I paid around $4 for them on sale! ;) 

Do you guys like holiday and/or sparkly, glittery nail polishes?

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Needless to say the much dreaded cold is upon us (at least in most of the northern hemisphere!) Tis the season for chapped lips, cracked hands and dry skin! But it doesn't have to be! With the right products, we can all look and feel as good as we did in the warmer months. One of my biggest winter pet peeves is that my hands dry and crack like there is no tomorrow. My lips handle cold better but they do inevitably chap. I feel like I have an overall dryness, yuck! Chicago cold getting to brutal and unbelievable lows doesn't help much. Here are some of the products I use to battle with effects of cold weather :)

Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion

This lotion does an amazing job moisturizing super dry areas on my body such as elbows and knees. I do have an occasional itchiness, due to dryness, on my elbows and it really helps soothe them. It has a thicker consistency than most lotions, absorbs pretty fast and cools on contact as it's formulated with menthol. Besides menthol another soothing ingredient in this lotion is colloidal oatmeal. I personally despise the menthol smell but this lotion definitely doesn't have an overpowering scent (nothing like that of Bengay no worries!), it's actually really faint so it doesn't bother me. I love products that come with pumps (which you can't see oops!) and this is no exception! :)

Neutrogena Hand Cream

I've been using this hand cream for years! This hand cream comes in this small tube and it also has a thicker consistency, a bit Vaseline-like. It is however nothing greasy like Vaseline, dries quickly and leaves hands super soft. Packaging reads "just a dab heals dry skin" and this is no gimmick.You do not need a lot of it for a good amount of moisture. I use this few times during the day as I remember as well as when I'm going to bed.

Bio-Oil

I bought Bio-oil to use it solely on two scars I got on my left hand as a result of breaking a tall rectangular glass while washing it (ouch!). I have seen improvement on these scars since I started using it. Scars have lightened up since using this oil. I then started using it on my face at night back in February after my face was became noticeably dry and had that stretched feeling to it. I started applying a thin coat of Bio-Oil few nights a week half an hour before going to bed and I have really benefited from it. Now that the weather is freezing again, I am back to this routine. I am not really a fan of using oils or oil-based products on my face but using this, I definitely feel like my skin is way more hydrated.

Vaseline

Vaseline comes in really handy for cracked heels. I have no idea why heels are even an issue in winter months as they are in socks and boots all day everyday. Maybe that's why? What I do is, generously apply Vaseline on my heels and balls of my feet, put on some socks and go to sleep! I hate even the idea of wearing socks when sleeping but this seems to work so I do it couple times a week :)

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

If my lips aren't that chapped, I use this scrub to gently exfoliate them. If they are really chapped, I skip the exfoliation step because it'll hurt! In mild cases, this lip scrub does a great job removing that dry and dead layer of skin from lips.

Lipbalms

There are hundreds of lip balms out there and I'm sure I have tried at least half of them, threw away half the ones I tried and have the half of other half sitting somewhere in my house. In my lip balm experience, as funny as it sounds, I have discovered there are different types of lip balms that work for different problems. A lip balm is not 'just a lip balm' in my case. Crazy, I know!

In a really severe case of chapped, cracked, dry lips and cold sores I prefer to use menthol based lip balms.They provide more comfort, moisture and I believe them to heal lips faster. Carmex is a life-saver in this case. It's in a gel-like form which leaves very refreshing and cooling sensation on lips. Doesn't have the most pleasant of scents but it does work! Sharps Daily Prep Lip Stuff comes next. I first bought this lip balm 4 winters ago when I had a really bad case of cold sores. My lips were outlined by this nasty red dryness which looked like badly lip-lined lips. I worked close to an apothecary that sold high-end and rare brands and was recommended this Sharps one by a sales person there. She was spot on! My lips healed not exactly overnight but the redness vanished overnight! This is from a men's skincare line but too bad! :)

If it's not that severe of a case but my lips are still chapped, I use one of the following. These two pretty much serve the same purpose. I am just including all of them to show you guys variety.

Victoria's Secret Pink Lip Butter with Organic Shea Butter - I'm not even sure if they still make these. It has a very nice minty smell and is very refreshing. I feel like I have a mint tic tac in my mouth every time I use this :) Goes on smooth and clear but leaves lips glossy.

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm -Stronger minty scent, goes on clear. I think everyone has used/will use this lip balm at one point in their lives, Burt's Bees products are generally very popular and they are usually 100% natural.

If my lips are fine but I still feel the need to moisturize them just for the sake of moisture, I use my EOS or Nivea lip balms. I always have a lip balm in my purse and am definitely one of those people who busts out her lip balm every now and again. Why not? I like keepin' it smooth! ;)

I do not have a special winter moisturizer for my face. I just continue with my regular facial care routine and use my my Origin's A Perfect World Moisturizer as it has SPF in it. I think many people may think they don't need SPF because it's winter. However the UVA/UVB rays are still there. Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they don't see you. It's a good idea to use SPF no matter what the season is. :)

What are your favorite winter life/skin-savers? 

Have a fabulous weekend!!! xoxo